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s a f e r w o r l d · w o r k i n g p a p e r 9Mandate of the Kenya National Focal PointThe KNFP Secretariat is charged with co-ordinating action on SALW at the nationallevel. 22 Its roles and functions include:n co-ordinating national policy and action to address the problem of the proliferationof illicit small arms and light weaponsn co-ordinating the development and implementation of the National Action Plan forArms Control and Managementn together with regional and international bodies and other NFPs, co-ordinating theimplementation of the international and regional declarations and protocolsn co-ordinating and interacting with civil societyn co-ordinating research on the problem of illicit SALWn monitoring and evaluating the effectiveness of measures to address the problem ofillicit SALW proliferationn facilitating the exchange and dissemination of information with regard to the SALWproblem.Kenya National Focal Point strategyThe work of the KNFP is guided by the Kenya National Action Plan for Arms Controland Management (NAP), which was approved in June 2004. 23 The Kenya NAPprovides an activity framework designed to comprehensively address the SALWproblem in Kenya. It was initially designed to cover a period of five years, starting on1 July 2004, after which it was envisaged that a further assessment would take place togauge the status of implementation and inform the development of a follow-on plan. 24The NAP has ten key pillars that are supposed to be implemented by the KNFP.These pillars are:1. Institutional framework related to building the capacity of KNFP and formation ofprovincial and district task forces to operationalise action on SALW at the grassrootslevel.2. Policy and legislation outlining the process to be undertaken to develop Kenya’sSALW policy and to review Kenya’s SALW legislation.3. Stockpile management related to record keeping, stock-taking and collection anddestruction of illicit SALW.4. Public education and awareness seeking to promote awareness of key aspects of theNAP and its implementation, e.g. on new firearms policy and legislation and theintroduction of educational programmes in schools to promote a culture of peace.5. International and regional co-operation and information exchange outlining specificprovisions to improve Kenya’s ability to co-operate and share information withneighbouring states and to conduct joint planning and operations.6. Border control and refugees with provision for establishment of a Movement ControlWorking Group to examine how to establish better controlled commercial ports ofentry. Other provisions include creation of targeted developmental arms reductionprogrammes around Kenya’s main refugee communities and enhancing co-ordinationof government responses to refugee management and arms control.7. Human development planning focusing on issues fuelling the demand for SALW inKenya as well as seeking to link the NAP to some of the broader causes of insecurityand violence that relate to SALW control and linking these with wider governmentdevelopment plans and strategies.22 Nairobi Declaration of 15 March 2000 and its Agenda for Action of November 2000.23 Government of Kenya, Kenya National Action Plan for Arms Control and Management, (Nairobi: Oakland Media, 2006).
10 c o n t r o l l i n g s m a l l a r m s a n d l i g h t w e a p o n s in k e n y a a n d u g a n d a : p ro g re s s s o f a r8. Training and capacity building on technical issues related to arms control andmanagement targeting KNFP, senior officials, law enforcement agents and civil society.9. Research setting out a number of issues that need further investigation includingdynamics of the illicit SALW trade and law enforcement agents and proliferation ofSALW in selected areas representing urban, rural and pastoralist contexts.10. Critical areas support to enhance the ability of law enforcement agents to carry outtheir duties in critical areas of performance. This would include formation of aNational Firearms Unit and enhancing the capacity of the Crime Intelligence Unitand the National Crime Research Centre.Progress to dateAn analysis of the above-mentioned aspects of NAP shows that most progress hasbeen made in the areas of research, stockpile management and information exchange.Comparatively little has been achieved in most other areas. Below we focus on themost notable areas of intervention.Research: The KNFP conducted its national mapping of SALW between March andApril 2004, informing the development of the NAP immediately afterwards. 25 Kenya’sfirst NAP was approved in June 2004 and was set to run for five years. The KNFP withthe support of the Small Arms Survey (SAS) is conducting an update survey in 2011/12to help renew its strategy on SALW in Kenya.Policy and legislation: The development of a national policy on SALW and the reviewof SALW control legislation were identified as priorities and feature as objectives ofKenya’s NAP. 26 The development of the national policy began in 2005. The process ofdeveloping the policy was well conducted and involved a wide variety of stakeholders.A final draft national policy was submitted to the minister in charge of ProvincialAdministration and Internal Security in December 2009, and is now awaitingsubmission to cabinet and official sign-off. 27 The process has taken six years howeverand there is no agreed timeframe within which to complete the task.Institutional framework: The KNFP has successfully established and trained 8Provincial Task Forces (PTFs) 28 and 53 District Task Forces (DTFs) 29 on SALW.However, lack of follow-up and resources to implement the DTFs’ work plans meantthat most have not been able to carry out planned activities. A second key problem isthat frequent transfers of district and provincial officials have left most of themwithout the technical skills to implement SALW programmes at community level. 30In some districts it would appear that provincial administrators and security officersare not fully aware of the existence of the KNFP. 31Stockpile management: By March 2010, Kenya had destroyed over 25,000 illegalSALW and thousands of rounds of ammunition and explosives (see table 2 below).In addition, by May 2010 the country had marked 25,000 arms using two markingmachines supported by RECSA. But arms destruction exercises should be measuredagainst the benchmarks set for civilian disarmament exercises over time. 3224 At the end of the NAP’s implementation period no new national plan was developed but the KNFP Secretariat formulated afive-year institutional strategic plan. KNFP, with support from SAS, also carried out a national mapping exercise of SALW inKenya, the findings of which are expected to inform further action on SALW in Kenya.25 Op cit Government of Kenya (2006).26 Ibid, pp 57–58.27 Government of Kenya, Draft National Policy on Small Arms and Light Weapons, (Nairobi: Office of President, Ministry ofState for Provincial Administration and Internal Security, June 2009); Interview with Isiolo DTF member on 20 March 2011 inIsiolo.28 There may be need to create 47 County Task Forces to align KNFP structures with the new administrative structures under thenew constitution.29 There are over 200 districts in the country.30 Interview with DTF members in Upper Eastern Region on 13 March 2011.31 An interview with a key security official in Garissa, on 23 April 2011 underscored their lack of knowledge of the roles ofRECSA and KNFP and how they can help the police to computerise databases on arms registers. Another informal interviewon the same day revealed that even where computers have been distributed, in some cases provincial administration officeshave benefited at the expense of police stations.32 For more information on civilian disarmament in Kenya and Uganda, see Saferworld, Lessons from the Frontiers: CivilianDisarmament in Kenya and Uganda. (London: Saferworld, 2011).
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