Kenyans are heavily armed, shows survey

By Standard on Saturday

Despite the low number of licensed guns in civilian hands, a recent survey shows Kenya is a heavily armed nation.

Kenya is ranked 86th in gun homicides and ownership globally. The annual crime survey released by the Inspector General of Police in April shows that one-third of crime victims were confronted with a firearm.

According to the Small Arms Survey, there may be between 530,000 and 680,000 firearms in civilian hands nationally.

Other statistics suggest there are 6.4 guns for every 100 people, the majority of them held by civilians. The focus on illegal guns, it appears, has led to some carelessness in the control of licensed arms. The Kenya National Focal Point on Small Arms and Light Weapons hopes to change this with new laws to cover all firearms.

“One of the issues that (the proposed Small Arms Control Bill) addresses is the licensing and marking of all firearms,” said John Patrick Ochieng, the head of KNFP. Information about manufacturers, dealers and brokers of firearms will also be more accessible.

The Standard On Saturday took a peek into the secretive world of the country’s 14 gun dealers, a dozen of whom are in Nairobi.

Light weapons

Their gun shops deal with small and light weapons and accessories like bulletproof vests, ballistic helmets, cleaning kits and cleaning oils. The majority spoke of dealing with a responsible clientele and having no trouble with the law.

Kenya Bunduki, which is licenced to hold up to 1,600 firearms and 500,000 rounds of assorted ammunition at any one time, is the largest dealer in Kenya. “We are not allowed to welcome anyone who does not have a firearms certificate (into the premises),” a dealer at Kenya Bunduki told us.

In most of the gun shops, handguns retail at between Sh100,000 and Sh300,000, while shotguns cost Sh160,000 to Sh350,000. A packet of bullets cost anything between Sh80 and Sh110 depending on the calibre and number.

Despite being armed, some users have never had occasion to draw their guns outside a firing range.

Licensed gun holders are expected to handle firearms with a lot of care and consideration as says one gun owner: “Like a father protects his daughter from boys”.

Holders are not allowed to brandish them without reason in public.

Travelling with weapons could soon be curtailed. Under the new laws, gun owners travelling abroad will be required to deposit the firearm with the Inspector General of Police for storage in the armoury. Guns are also usually surrendered before entering Parliament (with the Sergeant-at-Arms) or some casinos (with casino security).

According to the police, firearms can be a liability and a point of attraction for thieves. In 1995, an MP with five guns was shot dead. He had no chance to use any of the guns to defend himself. Robbers snatched three guns from another MP in his car without him using any of them.

Kenya took part in the United Nations Conference that adopted the Arms Trade Treaty on April 2 this year. The signing of the Treaty started on June 3. Kenya is expected to sign it once it gets Cabinet approval.