Former President Uhuru Kenyatta’s family has until Monday morning to surrender all guns in their possession.
The family is expected to surrender 28 weapons registered in their names to the Firearm Licensing Board in Nairobi.
The family lawyer said the order by police to surrender the weapons to the Chief Firearms Licensing Officer was verbal as opposed to the requirements of the law, which demands it be done in writing.
“The order was verbal.
We are happy to meet the Chief Firearms Licensing officer on Monday and explain all they want,” said the lawyer.
The lawyer will visit the offices in Industrial Area with the licenses for the weapons including pistols and rifles for more.
The law says in any case where a firearm certificate is revoked by a licensing officer, he shall by notice in writing, require the holder to surrender the firearm certificate, and if the holder fails to do so within 14 days from the date of the notice, he shall be guilty of an offense and liable to a fine not exceeding one thousand shillings.
The law says a firearms license may be canceled or revoked by the Chief Licensing Officer if he is satisfied that the holder is prohibited by or under this Act from possessing a firearm to which the firearm certificate relates, or is of intemperate habits or unsound mind or is otherwise unfit to be entrusted with a firearm.
The license may be revoked if the holder fails to comply with a notice under sub-section five requiring him to deliver up the firearm certificate.
A police officer from Operation Support Unit went to the home of Uhuru’s son Jomo and explained he had been sent by the chairman of the Firearm Licensing Board Yakub Rashid to order them to surrender the 28 weapons the family owns.
The family stays in Karen area in separate homes.
The officers arrived in three cars one with foreign registration numbers and talked to a guard and housegirl delivering the message.
They left in a hurry as Uhuru arrived at the scene.
Uhuru vowed to defend his family against any onslaught from the government saying they had withdrawn their security.
“Don’t plan against my mother.
Don’t plan against my children.
They want to take their weapons.
If they have illegal weapons say,” he said at the entrance.
He said the weapons are legally held and he does not know what the government plans for him and the family.
“They followed the procedures to own the weapons.
How many people have such weapons including foreigners?” An angry Uhuru asked.
“Do you want to go and look for my mother? Do you want my children? Come for me.
I am here. If you have those claims. Say. What is the problem?”
He said he is ready to live without government security and that he will defend himself.
He told the Kenya Kwanza they were elected to govern.
“Deal with issues Kenyans are raising.
When I was in power I was dealing with issues.”
“The fact that I have been silent does not mean I am scared.
Come for me if it is me that you want,” Uhuru said.
“I did the best I could do for my country and I handed over when my time was finished and I will now do the best to defend my family.”
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