Gun ownership is a vexed matter. Many individuals are rightfully licensed to carry guns. But equally, a large number of people have guns without approvals. This creates a serious problem. Very many guns cannot be accounted for. It’s becoming increasingly difficult to distinguish legitimate from illegal gun holders. Even among the licensed ones, there are questions about legitimacy of their certificates, given that the process has been fluid and many obtained the weapons without meeting the conditions.
Last week, Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i issued a one-week ultimatum for some 4,000 registered gun holders to surrender their arms. That should mark a major step in the clean-up. Henceforth, the government has to enforce stringent conditions and ensure that only those who have been thoroughly vetted hold guns. Some gun dealers have already been delisted.
There are many reasons for the proliferation of unlicensed guns. One, corrupt officials who dish out the licences at astronomical fees. Two, licensed gun owners, including police officers, who rent them out to crooks to carry out devious activities. Three, porous borders that allow influx of illicit firearms into the country. Four, criminals who either steal or make own firearms.
Whichever the case, this must stop. All the avenues through which the guns end up in the wrong hands must be sealed.
Danger abounds when guns are in the wrong hands. Several incidents have been reported of licensed gun holders who misuse the firearms. Another crop of show-offs has emerged, who flaunt guns with abandon and pose a serious risk not only to the public, but to themselves. Worse, it is the surest way of creating militias and terror gangs that cause mayhem all round. It’s not lost on anyone that there are parts of this country where guns are easily accessible and routinely used to mount raids and commit crime.
Moving forward, we must guard against a situation where guns are obtained so easily. The Firearms Licensing Board must apply the law to the letter in approving gun ownership, which includes enforcing the provision that the holders must be sufficiently suitable to hold the arms. This particularly applies to those excitable individuals who walk around showing off their guns.
The Firearms Act provides tight conditions for issuance, control and cancellation of gun certificates. The problem has been weak enforcement, largely explained by the fact that the process is riddled with corruption. Licensing must be streamlined to lock out the corrupt. Ultimately, the law must be enforced strictly to rid the country of illicit guns, which are a serious security threat.
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