This archive report was first published on 6 October 2019.
Acquiring a firearm in Kenya requires adherence to the Firearms Act Cap 114 Laws of Kenya. The process begins with obtaining a license, which involves several steps.
First, the applicant must obtain a prescribed form (Form 1) from the local Officer Commanding Police Station and fill it in duplicate. The Officer Commanding Police Station will assist the applicant in completing the form, and the duplicate copy will be forwarded to the Central Firearms Bureau at P.O. Box 30263, Nairobi 00100.
The original copy will be retained by the Officer Commanding Police Station and forwarded to the Officer Commanding Police Division, who will make a comprehensive recommendation on the applicant. This recommendation will be deliberated on by the District Security Committee and the Provincial Security Committee before being forwarded to the Commissioner of Police for approval.
Once the application is approved, the Chief Licensing Officer will inform the applicant of the decision and the next course of action. The firearm certificate is renewable annually.
For license renewal, a licensee will receive a Certificate Expiry Date Reminder (CEDR) with a renewal form and an inspection form. The licensee must send the firearm certificate and firearms to the nearest Police Station for inspection and complete the inspection certificate. The completed forms, along with the renewal fee, must be sent by registered post to the Central Firearms Bureau at P.O. Box 30263-00100, Nairobi.
It is essential to note that the Central Firearms Bureau is situated along Milimani Road within the compound of the new Nairobi Area Police Headquarters. Licensees outside Nairobi Province must follow the above procedure, while those within Nairobi Province must take the relevant forms personally and pay the appropriate fee.
