This archive report was first published on 21 September 2019.
Kenya's government has launched an amnesty program to encourage civilians to surrender their illegal firearms. The deadline for surrendering the weapons is September 30, 2019.
According to Mohamed Amin, Director of the Kenya National Focal point on small arms, those who surrender their firearms within the given period will not be arrested. The amnesty period is part of the government's efforts to reduce the number of illicit firearms in circulation.
It is estimated that between 550,000 and 650,000 firearms are illegally held in Kenya, contributing to various social ills such as terrorism, cattle rustling, and poaching. In the past year, over 8,000 unregistered firearms were seized and will be destroyed by the end of the amnesty period.
Regional coordinators, including George Natembeya, have called on civilians to voluntarily surrender their illegal firearms to avoid facing the full force of the law. The government has also planned a mop-up exercise to target senior civil servants and politicians who are known to arm herders.
Those who fail to surrender their firearms by the deadline will face prosecution, and the government will pursue the seizure of the arms.
