The Police Service has announced that the mandatory registration of all firearms will now be extended to reservists.
Inspector-General of police Hillary Mutyambai said the listing, which at first affected firearms in the hands of civilians, will henceforth include the National Police Reservists. He warned that after the registration deadline, anyone found in possession of an unregistered firearm will be treated as a combatant.
“The National Police Service would like to categorically state that the mandatory digitisation of all firearms in the hands of civilians is on course, and has now extended to the registration of firearms in the hands of all National Police reservists without exception,” said Mr Mutyambai in a statement to newsrooms yesterday.
He said the move comes amid concerns over the proliferation of unregistered firearms in the hands of police reservists that has continued unabated for the last 50 years.
Mr Mutyambai said that the unregistered guns can and have easily been used in crime, and that it’s much harder for security agencies to trace such activities when gun owners cannot be identified.