Marsabit MCA surrenders
Halkano Konso, Uran ward member of County Assembly (MCA) in Marsabit County was on Monday handed over to the Anti-Terror Police Unit (ATPU) shortly after he surrendered to the authorities.
Detectives had earlier issued a warrant of arrest after the MCA reportedly went into hiding.
He is the second politician, after Nairobi governor Mike Sonko, to be held by the ATPU
That was before he presented himself to the Marsabit DCI offices from where he was grilled for hours on his alleged role in arming locals in the conflict-hit areas of Turbi and Sololo.
“Hon.Konso who had gone into hiding has been handed over to our Anti-Terror Police counterparts for further questioning, before being presented in court alongside his co-accused,” the DCI said.
On Saturday, four of his alleged accomplices, among them two Marsabit County government employees, were arrested by the Border Patrol Unit (BPU).
During the arrest, police said they recovered a rifle and 10 bullets in an operation in Turbi area.
It’s during the operation that the MCA is said to have fled in a four-wheel-drive car.
According to Eastern Regional police boss Noah Mwivanda the vehicle had an unknown number of guns and bullets.
The regional police boss further claimed that the recovered weapons were being distributed to the local clan to fan fighting.
“BPU officers who were on targeted patrol following a tip-off from members of the local community, spotted a county government vehicle registration number 10CG016A suspected to be distributing supplies to bandits in the thickets of Funan Qumbi,” the Directorate of Criminal Investigations said in a Tweet.
He said there is a terror cell coming up in the area hence the ongoing operation to tame it.
“Terror cells are emerging here, and we are going to deal with them because we have intelligence and we will arrest everybody promoting war-like activities in this area,” said Noah Mwavinda, the Eastern Regional Police commander.