Kenyan communities break silence on small arms and insecurity

What does arms control look like from a community perspective? In late April, the Kenyan Community-Led Arms Control (CLAC) Initiative advisory board, led by UNIDIR and Interpeace, visited several heavily armed counties in Kenya’s North Rift region to hear directly from the communities living with the consequences.

Over six days, a team composed of diverse representatives (from UNIDIR, Interpeace, the Small Arms Survey, the Regional Centre for Small Arms Control, Kenya’s Ministry of Interior, National Defence University-Kenya, NEPCOH and local county authorities) conducted focus group discussions, stakeholder consultations, and community meetings. These took place in both urban centres and remote hotspots in Samburu, Baringo, Turkana, Elgeyo Marakwet, and West Pokot, where the State’s reach is limited and the presence of illicit weapons is not.

The team interacted with county commissioners, peace directors, National Police Service officers, elders, youth, women, and religious leaders. The findings were highly illuminating. In the Suguta Valley, one elder told the delegation:

Guns have brought more harm than good to our families. Nearly every home has lost someone.

Across all five counties, communities consistently identified three conditions for sustainable disarmament:

Meetings in Maralal, Samburu County, painted a detailed picture of the local security landscape, highlighting the linkages between livestock wealth, raiding and firearms possession. For households living more than ten kilometres from urban centres, guns are considered essential for protection.

A focus group with elders, youth, teachers, religious leaders, and local administrators in Suguta Valley in Turkana County’s Kapedo area highlighted: