Gun owners to be vetted, given biometric cards

What you need to know:

  • The vetting follows Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiangí’s directive on December 5 last year in reaction to reports that the firearms registry was tainted with corrupt dealings.

All civilian firearm holders will undergo a mandatory fresh vetting at the Directorate of Criminal Investigations Training College in South C, starting Monday next week.

The Firearms Licensing Board chairman Charles Mukindia in a circular said next week’s vetting will target holders in Nairobi, and that those in other regions will be notified through the media.

"They are supposed to appear with all their supporting documents for the licences acquired, all firearms and ammunitions and the holders need to book online through www.firearms.or.ke,” Mr Mukindia.

The vetting follows Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiangí’s directive on December 5 last year in reaction to reports that the firearms registry was tainted with corrupt dealings.

After the vetting, Mr Mukindia said, the firearms certificate holders shall proceed to the Dircetorate of Criminal Investigations headquarters for ballistic analysis on their firearms.

“They will be required to fill in a form and obtain a unique identification number from the vetting venue and then proceed to DCI for ballistic tests,” he said.