Firearms Board disbanded as Matiang’i warns gunholders

The Government has disbanded the Firearms and Licensing Board.

Interior CS Frd Matiang’i said his ministry is in the process of reconstituting a new board with the aim of weeding out corruption, incompetence and misbehaviour that ailed the previous team.

“We have been working quietly in the last few months to create a digital record of all those who hold genuine and legit firearms certificates. The exercise is almost complete. We shall be issuing new certificates soon. Anyone not holding the new certificate, will be deemed to be holding an illegal firearm,” he noted.

He was speaking on Friday during the orientation of the new Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) board members at the Intercontinental Hotel, Nairobi.

The CS also urged support for the campaign to clean up police stations in a move geared towards what he termed as Administrative Forfeiture.

The Inspector General of Police is expected to place an advertisement informing owners of unclaimed vehicles and motorcycles in police stations to claim them.

“If they do not claim them, the Ministry, in collaboration with the Judiciary, will transfer ownership to the government so that they can be used for service delivery to Kenyans,” Matinag’i said.

He added that the directive is specifically for vehicles that were caught ferrying contraband material and will have a timeline of six months until the cleanup exercise is completed.

On his part, Interior PS Karanja Kibicho, outlined 10 resolutions to improve efficiency and collaboration between the various security apparatus.

He noted that constant communication, cooperation and constructive engagement are extremely important in order to achieve set targets.

Also in attendance at the forum were the Solicitor General Kennedy Ogeto, IG Joseph Boinett, Chairperson of the Security Parliamentary Committee, Paul Koingange and representatives from the Kenya National Human Rights Organisation (KNHCR), the Independent Medical Legal Unit (IMLU) and other civil society organizations.