NAIROBI, Kenya, May 16 — Kenya is on target to meet international firearms sterilization requirements set out under international treaties as part of arms control measures.
In remarks attributed to Interior Principal Secretary Raymond Omollo, Interior ministry’s Principal Administrative Secretary (Security) Wilson Njenga said Kenya had marked most of its firearms stock and ammunition.
Speaking during a regional workshop in Nairobi, Njenga said the National Police Service (NPS) has successfully marked 98 per cent of its firearms stock while the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) is at 70 per cent compliance.
Njega hailed the achievement as a major milestone that propels Kenya into the league of nations taking concrete steps to combat the illicit arms trade.
He noted that the ultimate goal is to build a foolproof framework for the control and regulation of illicit arms flows and prevent diversion of such weapons into the illegal and criminal networks without disrupting legitimate transfers.
“This undertaking will help us identify the source and movement of such weapons and inform our decisions and responses in dismantling the criminal network involved in this trade,” he said.
He emphasized that this initiative would help reduce incidents of gun violence in accordance with various international agreements, including the Nairobi Protocol and the United Nations Programme of Action on Small Arms.
“Considering that small arms and light weapons are responsible for many deaths and injuries in armed conflicts, it is imperative that we enhance the traceability of our firearms and ammunition.”
The marking exercise was prescribed by the Regional Centre on Small Arms (RECSA) to its member states as part of the efforts to combat the illicit proliferation of small arms and light weapons and promote peace and security in East and Central Africa.
Unmarked firearm stock
The intergovernmental agency has organized a three-day workshop to validate the findings from the latest review on the progress of the exercise.
Njega attributed Kenya’s remaining unmarked firearms to new stocks and the weapons designated for areas where the marking exercise is yet to reach, including Wajir and Mandera.
Meanwhile, he said the exercise is currently underway for the KDF firearms in Nakuru.
He further highlighted some logistical challenges experienced by the responsible teams, key among them the breakdown of some of the marking machines.
“Kenya appreciates the decision to assign us the most marking machines, and it is part of the reason why we have recorded such impressive numbers so far.”
The government has also submitted a request for four additional new machines and spare parts to expedite the exercise.
Electronic recordkeeping
On his part, Dr. Ivor Richard Fung, Deputy Chief of the Conventional Arms Branch, UN Office for Disarmament Affairs (UNODA), lauded RECSA member states for the steady progress in transitioning from manual to electronic recordkeeping in the management of weapons, and relayed a commitment for sustained support in this regard.
RECSA has already deployed its Software Tracing System to its members issued for electronic record keeping.
“This is a very important aspect of controlling small arms and light weapons, and beyond marking is the issue of recordkeeping. RECSA has been able to carry out commendable work in this area and we applaud that, but a lot still needs to be done,” he said.
The three-day workshop will review and adopt a new gender policy for RECSA as part of the efforts to align its operations with global efforts to promote gender equality and women’s empowerment across the scope of its mandate.
RECSA is an Inter-Governmental organization with a mandate of coordinating the implementation of the Nairobi Protocol on the Prevention, Control and Reduction of small arms and light weapons in the Great Lakes Region, the Horn of Africa and Bordering States.
There are 15 RECSA Member States in the Great Lakes Region and the Horn of Africa signatory to the Nairobi Declaration and Nairobi Protocol namely:- Burundi, Central Africa Republic, Republic of Congo, Democratic Republic of Congo, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Kenya, Rwanda, Seychelles, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Uganda and the United Republic of Tanzania.
