This tweet published on February 14, 2023(archived here) bears the claim that “A vehicle with registration number GKB345M has been nabbed along Lodwar – Kakuma road with six AK 47 rifles and six magazines together with 30 rounds of ammunition all hidden behind the drivers seat.” Accompanying the tweet are three images of guns, three people sitting on the ground and a vehicle with a government registration plate.
Background
Sections of the country have seen a rise in banditry over the recent past with the Ministry of Interior reporting that over 100 civilians and 16 police officers were killed within the last six months. The increased banditry prompted Interior Cabinet secretary Kithure Kindiki’s visit to the North Rift Region which did not seem to help as the bandits killed three officers soon after he ended his tour of the region. The affected regions are within the North Rift include Turkana, West Pokot, Elgeyo Marakwet, Baringo, Laikipia and Samburu counties.
President William Ruto has since promised to act tough on the bandits and ordered military operation in bandit-hit areas.
Verification
A reverse image search of the first image leads to this article from May 2018. The article is on a bust in 2018 along Lodwar – Kakuma road, where three suspects were arrested with AK-47 rifles. While the image of the guns does not appear in this report, it appears here in this May 2018 article that also references Turkana where the arrest is reported to have happened.
Verdict
The allusion of the incident to a recent occurrence is MISLEADING.
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