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Kenya

Iringo: 70pc of State held firearms marked

The remaining 30 percent are to be marked by the end of the year/FILE

The remaining 30 percent are to be marked by the end of the year/FILE

NAIROBI, Kenya, Apr 29 – Interior Principal Secretary Mutea Iringo says 70 percent of all firearms owned by the State have been marked as the government takes an inventory of all issued weapons.

The process was done after acquisition of eight firearm marking machines from the National Focal Point on Small Arms and Light Weapons.

Iringo says the exercise is meant to enhance accountability in the management of the national firearms stock pile for easy identification of the origin of legal or illegal fire arms. The remaining 30 percent are to be marked by the end of the year.

“The establishment of the National Focal Points within the 15 member states, provided that eight arm marking machines to the member states which have assisted the marking of State owned firearms. The machines have enabled Kenya to mark 70 percent of its State owned firearms,” he said.

“This is important so that if they are missed used it will be very easy to trace the origin and of course to identify what is legally owned or illegal.”

He says with the collaboration of the Regional Centre on Small Arms, the menace of illegal use of small arms will be eliminated in the country which will help curb criminal activities.

“We are collaborating with the Great Lakes region countries to ensure that we reduce the prefabrication of small illegal firearms which are used by criminals in rural and urban areas. Of course the same firearms can also be used by terrorist because when they get here they do not necessarily come with the firearms but they are able to acquire them within the country,” he said.

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