Interior CS Fred Matiang'i has disbanded the Firearms Licensing Board.
All firearms dealers' licences have also been suspended pending fresh vetting.
Once the new board has been reconstituted, all firearm holders will be vetted afresh and given new licences.
Matiang'i said the move follows consultation with the National Security Advisory Committee on Friday.
The CS said licensing has been marred by corruption and incompetence, leading to guns being in illegal hands.
"A new board will be constituted soon," Matiang'i said, adding that a digital register for firearm holders is set to be rolled out.
"Anyone who does not get the new certificate will be regarded as having an illegal firearm,” he said.
Matiang'i also called for a comprehensive audit on the Kenya Police Reserve to know who owns guns.
He said the ministry will come up with a new curriculum and framework to train KPRs on how to handle guns.
"When we give guns to people who support our efforts, especially in stock theft prone areas, we will need to train them so they do not go overboard."
"In the next one year, we will have a record of anyone who is a KPR so that we do not have militias in the name of KPRs because firearms could be misused."
A cleanup on illegal firearms will then be conducted.
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