Study: Over 550, 000 weapons are in the wrong arms

By CYRUS OMBATI

Kenya: Proliferation of small arms contribute to between 70 and 90 per cent of crime committed in Kenya, Director of the Kenya Focal Point on Small Arms and Light Weapons Engineer Patrick Ochieng has said.

Ochieng said more illicit arms are in the wrong hands, a factor that threatens peace and stability.

“Between 70 to 90 per cent of crime committed in the country relate to the proliferation of small and light weight arms,” said Ochieng.

He further revealed that studies have shown currently, there are between 550,000 to 680,000 small arms and light weapons in the wrong hands in the country.

He urged the government to take the matter seriously as security is a key incentive in fast-tracking national development and attainment of peace.

“Security is a key incentive for attracting investment both from within and outside the country and the earlier we tackle insecurity in the country, the better for our economic growth,” Ochieng added.

He also appealed to the government to urgently approve the national policy in small arms that was developed in 2008 but has not been approved to date.

Ochieng added that Kenya’s national borders (land, sea and air) are porous allowing for regional spillover, influx of refugees and increased armed conflicts and armed violence.

He said Kenya ranks 136 out of 162 countries in the peace index after Republic of Congo, Mali, South Africa, Egypt and Rwanda among others in Africa, which he argued is negative.

He made the remarks at a city hotel when he addressed a forum on Kenya’s infrastructure for peace for Regional Coodinators and County Commissioners.