Firearm News
Kenyan President Sets Fire to More Than 5 000 Illegal Guns
10 June 2021
Independent Online (IOL)
Kenya's President Uhuru Kenyatta on Wednesday set alight more than 5 000 illegal firearms in a gesture to highlight the importance of peaceful resolutions to conflict.
Kenyatta set fire to 5144 illegal firearms, in addition to out-of-date state-owned guns, at the Regional Traffic Police Training Centre located in Ngong, west of the capital Nairobi, State House Kenya reported.
"A peaceful Kenya, a united Kenya is for the good of all of us. And that can only be achieved... (GunPolicy.org)
Kenya Burns Over 5,000 Illegal Firearms to Curb Crime
10 June 2021
AfricaNews
The Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta on Wednesday presided over the burning of 5,144 illegal firearms and obsolete state-owned small arms and light weapons at the Regional Traffic Police Training Centre in Ngong, Kajiado County.
He further called on those making homemade guns to join the newly built government facility that produces guns.
"This is to those making illegal guns, come we make legal money and jobs. Come forward and declare you can make a gun and you will... (GunPolicy.org)
5,250 Illegal Firearms Destroyed in Kenya [FR]
15 November 2016
Africa News
[Translated summary: Kenya has burned 5,250 firearms as part of a campaign to fight poaching and robberies and to eliminate terrorism. The destroyed firearms were seized in police operations or recovered in disarmament exercises. Citizens have also been urged to register their firearms.]
Le vice-président kenyan, William Ruto, a incité ce mardi les autorités à brûler 5.250 armes légères.
Ceci s'inscrit dans le cadre des efforts déployés pour lutter contre... (GunPolicy.org)
Kenya Destroys 5,250 Seized Guns to Slow Armed Violence
15 November 2016
Washington Post, Associated Press
NAIROBI — Kenya's deputy president on Tuesday set ablaze more than 5,250 firearms seized by authorities to discourage the circulation of illegal weapons in a country battling extremist violence.
Deputy President William Ruto presided over the burning of rifles and pistols in three stacks about 15 feet high. They were recovered in this East African country over the past nine years, Ruto said.
Most of the firearms were collected through voluntary surrender, others... (GunPolicy.org)
Over 1,200 People Allegedly Shot Dead by Police in Kenya
28 October 2016
al Jazeera
Kenyan police have been accused of more than 1,200 shooting deaths over the past five years amid calls for the government to investigate extrajudicial killings and disappearances.
Only one police officer in Kenya has been successfully prosecuted and imprisoned for an unlawful killing in the last three years, according to the local group Independent Medico-Legal Unit, which monitors police violence.
New York-based Human Rights Watch has also highlighted at least 34... (GunPolicy.org)
Kenya Police Kill 140+ in 2015: Other Countries Patrol Unarmed
2 October 2016
Daily Nation (Nairobi), Report
When it comes to killings, Kenya police has few equals: They kill more people in days than other countries do in years, a Nation Newsplex analysis reveals.
Studies around the world have linked the number and rate of police killings to factors such as whether police are armed all the time, gun ownership rates, adherence to police guidelines firearms use, quality of training offered to police recruits and poverty levels.
With a police killing rate of 3.2 per million... (GunPolicy.org)
Rwanda,Kenya,Tanzania,Burundi,Uganda
Armed Violence and Illegal Guns in East Africa - Recent Study
26 July 2016
New Times (Rwanda)
East African Community (EAC) member countries are meeting in Kigali for a validation workshop on the study by the Regional Centre on Small Arms (RECSA) on the status of armed crimes in Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda.
The report dubbed 'Analysis of Armed Crime Rates' released yesterday, in Kigali was conducted between 2010 and March 2016 with the support of African Development Bank (AfDB).
According to the report, Rwanda registered 421 cases related to... (GunPolicy.org)
Kenya Ongoing Registration of Illegal Guns Reaches 29
18 July 2016
Hivisasa (Kenya)
The ongoing registration of illegally acquired firearms has received a major boost after six herders from Garissa County surrendered their unlicensed rifles to the government for registration by the relevant county security teams.
According to Garbatula police boss, Kioko Nyamai, the move is expected to expansively trigger a popular desire by other pastoralist groups to register their firearms and further dispel the fears of being disarmed or victimised.
The... (GunPolicy.org)
Ethiopia,Kenya,Burundi,Tanzania,Rwanda,Uganda
Kenya's Private Gun Ownership the Largest in East Africa
11 July 2016
East African (Nairobi)
Kenya has the largest number of guns in civilian hands in eastern Africa amid rising gun attacks while Rwanda has the least, a global survey shows.
Data from Sidney-based GunPolicy.org, a website backed by the United Nations, puts the estimated number of guns possessed by Kenyan civilians at about 680,000, comprising licit and illicit firearms.
Tanzania has 550,000 guns in private hands, Uganda (400,000), Ethiopia (320,000), Burundi (100,000) and 58,000 for... (GunPolicy.org)
Assault Rifles Being Handed in for Registration in Kenya
16 May 2016
Citizen (Kenya)
Residents of Isiolo County continue to take advantage of a government amnesty on the surrender of illegal arms.
Led by area MCA and Isiolo County Assembly Majority Leader Adan Giro, the residents have surrendered a total of nine firearms and hundreds of bullets to the government.
The residents from Kinna ward presented three AK-47 rifles, one M16 rifle, and 302 rounds of ammunition for registration by the sub county security team at Kinna Social Hall in... (GunPolicy.org)
Kenya Herders Surrender Illegal Guns for Registration
27 April 2016
Daily Nation (Nairobi)
Three more herders in Isiolo have surrendered, for registration, firearms they were possessing illegally.
This comes just two weeks after Ngarema Member of County Assembly (MCA) Peter Losu registered his G3 rifle.
Two G3 rifles, an AK-47 rifle, five magazines and 66 rounds of ammunition belonging to herders from West Location were presented to the county security team Wednesday.
The herders presented their guns to Isiolo County Commissioner George Natembeya.
Mr... (GunPolicy.org)
Currently There Are 6500 Licensed Gun Owners in Kenya
8 April 2016
Citizen Digital (Kenya)
The High Court sitting in Nairobi has extended orders barring the government from withdrawing Mombasa Governor Ali Hassan Joho's security and firearms.
The court before Judge George Odunga further directed that documents be served to respective parties and responses be effected pending hearing of the matter on the 16th of June 2016.
The Firearms Licensing Board, Interior Cabinet Secretary Major Gen. (Rtd.) Joseph Nkaissery, Chief Licensing Officer and Inspector... (GunPolicy.org)
United States,Botswana,Algeria,Libya,South Africa,Kenya,Rwanda,Djibouti
7 African Nations More Effective at Gun Control than the US
11 January 2016
Mail & Guardian (Johannesburg)
In a BBC interview last July, US President Barack Obama admitted that failure to pass "common sense gun safety laws" in the US has been the greatest frustration of his presidency.
Since he took office in 2008, there have been repeated mass shootings including the 2011 Tucson Arizona shooting in which Gabrielle Giffords, then a member of Congress and 18 others were shot in a supermarket parking lot. Six people died that day.
Another shooting was at Emanuel African... (GunPolicy.org)
European Union,Kenya,Tanzania,Africa,Congo (DRC),Somalia
African Experts Seek Ways to Curb Proliferation of Small Arms
13 May 2014
Shanghai Daily (China)
NAIROBI - Experts from across Africa will meet in Nairobi on Wednesday to seek ways to help address the proliferation of small arms and light weapons in the continent, ravaged by many conflicts.
A statement from the Nairobi-based Regional Centre for Small Arms (RCSA) said Tuesday the 3rd meeting of the AU-Regions steering committee on small arms and light weapons and disarmament, demobilization and reintegration will seek ways of combating cross border flows illicit... (GunPolicy.org)
Tanzania Police Seize Guns in Operation to Recover Illegal Firearms
9 May 2014
Tanzania Daily News
The influx of illegal firearms in Mara Region is alarming and the police force is now planning a house to house operation aimed at recovering all guns from hands of criminals.
A total of seven illegal firearms most of them submachine guns (SMG) and more than 420 bullets have been seized by the police in Mara Region since the beginning of this year.
"Since January to April 30 this year we have impounded seven guns and four of them are SMGs, two pistols and a shotgun,"... (GunPolicy.org)
70 Percent of Kenya Govt Firearms Marked
29 April 2014
Capital FM (Nairobi)
NAIROBI — Interior Principal Secretary Mutea Iringo says 70 percent of all firearms owned by the State have been marked as the government takes an inventory of all issued weapons.
The process was done after acquisition of eight firearm marking machines from the National Focal Point on Small Arms and Light Weapons.
Iringo says the exercise is meant to enhance accountability in the management of the national firearms stock pile for easy identification of the origin of... (GunPolicy.org)
Kenya Authorities Issue Gun Amnesty Ultimatum to Criminals
27 March 2014
Capital FM
NAIROBI — Mombasa County Commissioner Nelson Marwa has issued a one week amnesty to criminal gangs to surrender or face the full force of the law.
Marwa stated that those in possession of illegal firearms should surrender them before the expiry of the amnesty.
Speaking after a meeting with Muslim leaders, Marwa said the recent incidents of security are scaring away potential investors.
"All criminals in this county who are harbouring illegal weapons should... (GunPolicy.org)
Firearms Licensing Shut Down Temporarily in Kenya, Law Reforms Planned
21 March 2014
Standard (Nairobi)
NAIROBI, Kenya - The Chief Firearms Licensing office in Nairobi has been closed on a temporary basis.
Police seconded to the bureau were told to take leave until further notice.
The move came even as Inspector General of Police David Kimaiyo and his deputy Grace Kaindi named Boniface Maingi as the new head of firearms licensing section.
The Chief Firearms Licensing officer Francis Wanjohi was moved to police headquarters amid protest from firearms dealers.
Mr... (GunPolicy.org)
Two Students Arrested in Kenya After Handgun Found in Schoolbag
1 March 2014
Standard (Nairobi)
Kajiado, Kenya - Police are holding two school boys after a gun was allegedly recovered inside a schoolbag belonging to one of the boys.
The two Form Four students at Ololua Secondary School were arrested on Friday by police after a teacher discovered the firearm inside the student's school bag.
According to Ngong Police boss Farah Mohamed, one of the boys arrived at the school late and was questioned by his teacher.
The teacher who realised the student was a... (GunPolicy.org)
Yes, It's This Easy to Buy a Firearm in Kenya Slums
14 February 2014
Standard (Nairobi)
The increasing rate of crime in the country has been blamed on the high number of unlicenced guns held by civilians. Cases of robberies, carjackings and thefts in a number of towns are a common feature in the news. Most of the weapons used to commit these crimes are small arms, which are easy to buy and stash away from public glare and knowledge of the authorities. But does the government know just how easy — but dangerous — it is to acquire a gun? In the slums of... (GunPolicy.org)