Over the past few years, there has been a surge in gun-related violence in Kenya. This is a worrying trend that needs to be stopped before it spirals out of control. Sample this; just last month, an armed civilian allegedly shot two officers after an altercation in a club along Thika Road. Earlier this month, another man shot dead his estranged wife before turning the gun on himself in Kiambu.
These two cases are a microcosm of the emerging gun violence culture. Owning a firearm is nowadays regarded as a status symbol. That is why every Tom, Dick and Harry who feels he has some disposable income rushes to apply for a firearm licence. The government must as a matter of urgency cease to liberally issue firearm licences to civilians.
It is an indisputable fact that the more firearms we have in the hands of civilians, licensed or otherwise, the more insecure we become as a nation. In fact, I strongly believe and advocate that guns should only be possessed by state security apparatus.
Civilians have no business owning guns in a country that is neither at war with an external actor nor facing internal strife. If indeed firearms were a source of security, Turkana, West Pokot, Baringo and the neighbouring counties would be the most secure places in Kenya. Instead, what we witness year in year out is an unending cycle of violence and misery among the inhabitants of the region.
What should worry all of us is the ease with which people are acquiring firearms. Today, even the estate riff raffs and petty criminals own guns. It’s not my intent to dilute the gravity of the situation but nowadays one would be extremely ‘lucky’ to encounter criminals armed with metal bars and rungu, the traditional tools of trade for the ilk.
The government must find ways of mopping up the illegal firearms in the hands of criminals while also restricting or abolishing altogether the licensing of the same. It is no longer news when a minor altercation, especially in the so-called high-end entertainment joints, quickly escalates in gunfights. The same case applies to road rage incidences.
The Kenya Firearms Licensing Board ought to be more stringent in its licensing processes. As a pacifist, I find their motto ‘Weapons for peace’ quite ironic. If we were to argue that everyone needs to have a gun for self-defence, why then do we need a National Police Service?
As it is, the threshold of obtaining a firearm licence is quite low. That means Parliament ought to have a re-look at the Firearms Act to make it harder for civilians to own guns. The Firearm Licensing Board only requires five documents that are easily obtainable: Copies of ID, Tax compliance certificate, police clearance certificate, a psychiatric examination report and a six-month bank statement.
That’s the reason even people who engage in shady deals and refer to themselves as businessmen are licensed gun holders. Perhaps we need to widen the scope and come up with a licensing committee comprising of a multi-agency team instead of individual licensing officers who can be easily compromised.
While acknowledging the challenge posed by the proliferation of illicit small arms which the government has tried to address through the Kenya National Focal Point on Small Arms and Light Weapons, the situation ought not to be made worse by a laissez-faire approach in the issuance of firearms licence.
At this rate, more Kenyans will die in the hands of licensed gun holders than criminals. The last thing Kenya needs is to follow in the footsteps of countries such as the US where gun violence and mass shootings make up grim statistics in terms of human lives lost.
For us to have a safer country and safe spaces for our children, the government needs to live up to its raison d’etre- that is protection of lives and properties of its citizens. Allowing private citizens to own guns under the guise of self-defence will be an admission of its inability to play this cardinal role.
Operations manager, Pride of East Africa Ltd and political analyst
