Gun holding in Kenya is presumed to be a preserve of the powerful and wealthy individuals in the political and business class.
For someone to be allowed to own a gun they should have attained the age of 21 years and have training in the use of small arms.
On what the process to legally acquire a gun in the country entails, the Kenya Firearms Act stipulates the following requirements that one has to fulfill before they are allowed to own a gun.
1. Filling in an application form from the Chief Licensing Officer at the Firearms Bureau (located in Nairobi Area station).
2. In addition to that, one is supposed to seek clearance from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), where fingerprints will be collected as well as acquiring a certificate of good conduct.
3. The applicant is then required to submit the duly filled form to the police station nearest to the applicant’s residence.
4. Each application is then vetted by the District Security Intelligence Committee and the Provincial Security Intelligence Committee before rejection or approval.
5. The list of those vetted and cleared for consideration to be licensed gun holders is then forwarded to the Inspector General of Police, who has the final say to instruct the Chief Licensing Officer to clear the applicant.
A misuse of the firearm, however, can lead to the withdraw of the gun licence or even prosecution.
Meanwhile, Interior Cabinet Secretary Joseph Nkaissery on Saturday noted that the government will ask gun holders to renew licences to enable for the documentation of the number of civilians with firearms.
CS Nkaissery's announcement came in the wake of a contention pitting Mombasa Governor Ali Hassan Joho against the Government, in regard to firearm possession.
In a move that could set stage for a political storm, the Interior CS ordered the Mombasa Governor to immediately return all the firearms in his possession, a directive that has strongly condemned by the Opposition.
