Kenya and her regional neighbours will present a unified stance on Small Arms and Light Weapons at the UN Conference in New York in June this year.
The conference aims to address challenges posed by the proliferation of small arms and light weapons in the Great Lakes and Horn of Africa region.
Interior PS Raymond Omollo said Kenya, along with 14 other member states under the Regional Centre on Small Arms (RECSA) will present a joint position at the Fourth Review Conference (RevCon4).
"The illicit trade in small arms knows no borders and respects no laws, making it imperative for us to strengthen our collaborative efforts at both regional and international levels," Omollo said.
He spoke when he presided over the opening session of the Regional Preparatory Meeting on Small Arms and Light Weapons currently underway in Nairobi.
The meeting is reviewing efforts such as the destruction of confiscated and obsolete firearm stockpiles and the marking of all state-owned weapons for enhanced traceability.
It highlights Kenya's commitment to combating the illegal arms trade in line with the UN Programme of Action on Small Arms and Light Weapons.
Official government data shows that by May 2023, the National Police Service (NPS) had marked 98 per cent of its firearms stock, while the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) had achieved a 70 per cent marking rate.
The Interior Ministry said Kenya has also made significant strides in enhancing physical security in conflict-prone areas, capacity building for law enforcement agencies and investing in modern technologies for border surveillance to tackle the proliferation of small arms and light weapons, which contribute to banditry, terrorism, transnational crimes and criminal gangs.
The outcome of the Regional Preparatory Meeting will inform the regional position and priorities for the upcoming Fourth Review Conference in New York.
The two-day Preparatory Meeting started on Monday, March 5 at the Sarova Panafric Hotel, Nairobi.
Expert participants drawn from East and Southern Africa, including Botswana, Comoros, Djibouti, Eritrea, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Kenya, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi and Mauritius are in attendance.
Representatives from Mozambique, Namibia, Rwanda, Seychelles, Somalia, South Africa, South Sudan, Sudan, Uganda, the United Republic of Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe are also in attendance.
“The meeting aims to take stock of key achievements in advancing the implementation of Action Programmes and related International Tracing Instruments (ITI) by the respective Member States while reflecting on the challenges, emerging risks, and opportunities in respective Countries,” a statement from the Interior Ministry said.
“Discussions will also focus on enhancing national and regional cooperation and technical assistance to governments to address the illicit flows of small arms and light weapons,” it added.
