President William Ruto on Friday led a symbolic yet impactful exercise in the fight against insecurity, overseeing the destruction of over 6,000 illegal firearms at the National Police Leadership Academy in Ngong, Kajiado County. The weapons, recovered between 2022 and 2025, were either surrendered voluntarily through public amnesty programmes or seized during security operations.
In his address, Ruto underscored the grave threat posed by illicit arms, describing them as “a direct assault on the safety of our citizens, the stability of our society, and the peace we have worked so diligently to build.” He warned that in criminal hands, these weapons escalate violence and undermine the rule of law.
The firearm destruction exercise aligns with the African Union’s “Silencing the Guns in Africa by 2030” initiative. Ruto lauded the Regional Centre for Small Arms and Light Weapons (RECSA) for its two decades of leadership in coordinating arms control efforts across Eastern Africa. He called for enhanced regional collaboration and harmonised disarmament policies to secure the region.
“The Eastern Africa region remains awash with illegal small arms and light weapons, many of which can easily cross our borders,” Ruto noted, urging those still in possession of illegal arms to surrender them. “An illegal firearm makes you less safe; it compromises your safety rather than securing it.”
Beyond disarmament, the President reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to professionalising the police service. He announced plans to improve police welfare through modern equipment, proper housing, and comprehensive insurance coverage. However, he was firm on accountability, pledging to root out rogue officers from the service.
“We will make sure we professionalize police service and eliminate policemen and women who abuse the authority they have,” Ruto said. “We will protect citizens from rogue police officers and hold them to account.”
Ruto’s bold stance signals a dual-front war against insecurity tackling illegal arms while reforming the police service to restore public trust and ensure citizen safety.
