The Firearms Licensing Board has written to more than 30 individuals who have misused their guns in the last year to inform them their licenses had been revoked.
The board met in Nairobi last Thursday and made the decision. Members of the board complained of frustration from gun dealers in their efforts to contain the menace of misuse of guns.
“We made a decision to have licenses of those who have misused their guns in the last year be revoked,” said one member.
This came amid complaints there is little action being taken on those behind the misuse in the country.
The issue of firearms ownership is thorny and controversial with misuse being on the rise.
There are more than 10,000 civilian gun holders.
Claims of corruption at the Central Firearms Bureau have been made amid calls to reform the area.
According to the law, the board secretariat shall also register civilian firearm holders, dealers and manufactures of firearms under the Act, register, supervise, and control all shooting ranges that are registered under the law, establish, maintain and monitor a centralised record management system and perform such other functions as the Cabinet Secretary may prescribe from time to time.
The law says no person shall manufacture, assemble, purchase, acquire or have in his possession an armoured vehicle unless he holds a certificate of approval issued.
Those found with illegal weapons are liable to imprisonment for a term of not less than seven years and not more than fifteen years.
Gun holders usually go through rigorous process before they are issued with such a weapon. Before one is allowed to own a gun, he or she is supposed to apply through an OCS who forwards to the OCPD who convenes a meeting of the district intelligence and security officers for review before it is sent to the county commanders for approval.
A plan to recall all firearms owners by civilians for inspection after revelation of a criminal cartel was supplying parallel licenses by manipulating the security system and bypassing rules failed to materialize.
