Controlling small arms and light weapons in Kenya and ... - Saferworld

s a f e r w o r l d · w o r k i n g p a p e r 133. Undertake stockpile management, record keeping, collection and destructionactivities.4. Develop and implement a national awareness and education programme to curbproliferation, reduce demand and promote responsible management of SALW.5. Develop international and regional co-operation, facilitate co-ordination, of regionaland sub-regional activities across borders and information exchange.6. Facilitate the control of cross-border movement of people and goods at all entrypoints.7. Mainstream and integrate the NAP activities into the Human Development Plan forthe country, poverty reduction programmes and the existing peacebuilding structures.8. Train and build capacity of all agencies and civil society actors interacting with theNAP or any of its activities.9. Carry out action-oriented research to promote co-operation and interaction with civilsociety in order to build support for the NAP and secure civil society involvement inits implementation.10. Identify and facilitate action on critical areas of control such as cross-border entrypoints, joint and cross-border operations, capacitating the Crime Intelligence Unitand formation of a multi-disciplinary National Firearms Unit.Progress to dateCompared to Kenya, Uganda seems to have made better progress, especially in the areaof policy and legislation and integration of its SALW programmes into the broaderdevelopment policies of the government. 37Research: Uganda carried out a national mapping of SALW in 2002–03 leading todevelopment of an NAP. 38 Different components of this plan have been implementedas outlined below.Policy and legislation: Uganda has ratified the Nairobi Protocol 39 and developedand adopted a national policy on SALW – in October 2010, the cabinet approved thepolicy, making Uganda the first country to finalise an official government policy onSALW within the RECSA region. In addition, the UNFP Secretariat constituted theLegal Drafting Committee in late 2010 and started undertaking the national legislativereview process.Importantly, in 2007, Uganda developed the Karamoja Integrated Disarmament andDevelopment Programme (KIDDP) aimed at creating conditions for promotinghuman security and recovery in Karamoja. The UNFP played a leading role during theKIDDP’s development, by chairing the technical team that developed the programmedocument and co-ordinating the consultations with key stakeholders, although thislevel of involvement has not been maintained by the UNFP during the implementationphase. 40 However, implementing the KIDDP has been challenging, with criticismsbeing levelled at the pace with which development assistance has been brought to thearea as disarmament efforts were implemented. In addition, forceful disarmamentoperations have occurred repeatedly over the last years, undermining the intentionsof the KIDDP to address the factors that encourage people to acquire and useweapons and to conduct disarmament in a way that ensures community buy-in andparticipation. 4137 Based on the analysis of the KIDDP and the progress with the national SALW policy.38 Government of Uganda, Uganda National Action Plan for Arms Control and Management, (Kampala, 2004).39 The government, in compliance with Section 3 (a) of the Ratification of Treaties Act and the Constitution of the Republic ofUganda authorised the Minister of Foreign Affairs to sign the instrument of ratification, dated 15 February 2005, depositedwith the Secretariat on 10 May 2005. www.recsasec.org/ratification.htm, 20 February 2011.40 Interview with Richard Nabudere, former UNFP Coordinator.41 Saferworld, Lessons from the Frontiers: Civilian Disarmament in Kenya and Uganda. (London: Saferworld, 2011).