This archive report was first published on 21 September 2019.
Kenya's amnesty month is underway, offering citizens a chance to return illegal firearms without fear of prosecution. According to Mohamed Amin, director of the Kenya National Focal Point On Small Arms and Light Weapons, a survey by Africa Amnesty estimates that between 550,000 and 650,000 illegal firearms are in the hands of civilians.
These weapons are often used to commit crimes, including terrorism, murder, and robberies. Amin emphasized the importance of surrendering these firearms, stating, "These weapons can be used against you."
Those who return their illegal guns before September 30 will not be prosecuted, giving them eight days to surrender their firearms. Amin advised individuals to return their guns to the nearest police station or to religious and community leaders.
As part of the amnesty program, the government has confiscated over 8,000 firearms from licensed civilians who were found to be illegally registered. A high-tech machine has been acquired to destroy the collected illegal weapons, with the destruction process slated for December to prevent the recovered firearms from re-entering the illegal market.
During the international peace day in Nairobi, participants observed a one-minute silence to mark six years since the terrorist attack on the Westgate Mall, which resulted in the loss of over 70 lives. Officials from the Regional Centre on Small Arms (RECSA) were present, with Lt Gen Badreldin Elamin Abdelgadir, the executive secretary, highlighting the need for regional states to collaborate in addressing the trafficking of illegal weapons.
Elamin noted that the weapons are linked to transnational organized crimes, including terrorism, poaching, drug trafficking, and rustling. He emphasized the importance of removing illegal weapons from the equation to achieve lasting peace, stating, "We can only have lasting peace if we remove illegal weapons from the equation."
