Firearms Bureau Shutdown Over Guns Scandals

The Central Firearms Bureau was shut down after it emerged that a criminal syndicate was assisting applicants to get licenses by manipulating the systems.

According to reports, the government sacked all the top officers at the bureau and was in the process of replacing the management. 

The headquarters of the firearms bureau will also be moved to a new location.

Among those fired were Nelson Munyi, the board secretary and David Kiprono Tonui who was replaced by Margarete Mosse.

Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang'i ordered the guns bureau shut down after he discovered it had been infiltrated by a cartel that has been issuing fake permits. 

The Standard claimed that licensed firearm holders whose permits had expired within the last four months were unable to renew them after the government increased scrutiny on Nairobi Area Police Station where the bureau is based. 

To acquire a gun licence one pays Ksh2,000 a cost which excludes the cost of a gun and it can take an applicant up to three months before they are allowed to purchase a firearm.

Some licence seekers have allegedly been paying a ‘facilitation fee’ of at least Ksh200,000 to a criminal ring at the bureau to easily acquire a gun permit. 

The syndicate was reported to have infiltrated the system and manipulated details severely that the files of several firearm holders have similar serial numbers.

These anomalies were flagged when licensed gun owners attempted to renew their licences and got caught up in a firearm misuse which required scrutiny. 

This is the second time in two years that the government is shutting down the Fire Arms Licensing Bureau after the board was reconstituted in October 2016 by the Interior ministry.

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