Kenya is currently working with its neighbors to stop the illegal gun trafficking that is causing violent conflicts and criminality in the area.
In order to intensify their coordinated efforts to stop the spread of small arms and light weapons among border and nomadic populations, Ethiopia, South Sudan, and Somalia have now been contacted by the government, according to Interior Principal Secretary Dr. Raymond Omollo.
“They are the weapons of choice for terrorists, militants, and criminal gangs in the Great Lakes Region and the Horn of Africa due to their easy availability and low cost,” he said.
According to Omollo, reducing the availability of these weapons is Kenya’s top priority in order to put an end to years of intercommunal violence, banditry, and cattle rustling.
Dr. Omollo claims that the atrocities caused by the aforementioned patterns, particularly in the North Rift, the northern border counties, and sections of the Eastern region, partially account for the “huge cost” that the nation has incurred due to illegal weaponry.
Unsurprisingly, these three regions collectively represent 30% of all small arms and light weapons in the nation, a trend that has slowed down the nation’s efforts to advance social and economic growth. How criminals and dishonest profiteers continue to develop new schemes to surreptitiously traffic and smuggle guns into Kenya is of considerable concern. Dr. Omollo responded by relaying the government’s dedication to developing a strong border control system that will use cutting-edge monitoring technology.
The Regional Centre on Small Arms and Light Weapons (RECSA), which aims to promote international cooperation in weapons control, hosted a three-day workshop in Nairobi at the beginning of which the PS spoke. The discussion during the workshop, which included representatives from local, regional, and international law enforcement agencies, will center on improving the SALW marking, record-keeping, and tracing system.
The Nairobi Protocol on the Prevention, Control, and Reduction of SALW in the Great Lakes Region, the Horn of Africa, and Bordering States, among other important international instruments, was highlighted by Lt. Gen. Badreldin Elamin Abdelgadir, Executive Secretary of RECSA, who also stressed the significance of enhancing cross-border capacity to counter illicit trafficking of weapons.
In order to prevent weapons from being diverted into the wrong hands, the representatives will also discuss better ways to improve border security during the training and to increase stakeholder understanding of field identification and tracking of the weapons. The Kenya National Focal Point (KNFP) defined weapon diversion as “loss, theft, leakage, and proliferation” and recommended effective protection of ammunition and weapon stocks.
Via a spokesman, Interpol attested to the efficiency of its I-24/7 worldwide police communications system, which enables law enforcement agencies throughout the world to exchange warnings, information, and intelligence on a range of security-related topics.
The agency further promised to continuing to be a dedicated partner in efforts to strengthen international case collaboration and efforts to combat transnational organized crime.
The African Union Commission (AUC), the Regional Economic Communities, the International Conference on the Great Lakes (ICGLR), and the German Bonn International Center for Conversion (BICC) are a few of the organizations taking part in the training.