Connect with us

Hi, what are you looking for?

Africa

Kenya commemorates 20th Anniversary of RECSA, destroys over 6,000 Illicit Firearms

The event, held at the National Police Leadership Academy in Ngong, brought together interior ministers and delegates from the 15 RECSA member states.

NAIROBI, Kenya, Jun 13 – Kenya on Friday hosted the 20th anniversary commemoration of the Regional Centre on Small Arms and Light Weapons (RECSA), marking two decades of regional efforts to combat the proliferation of illicit firearms across Eastern and Central Africa.

The event, held at the National Police Leadership Academy in Ngong, brought together interior ministers and delegates from the 15 RECSA member states.

The gathering provided a platform to reflect on achievements made in promoting peace, security, and disarmament across the Great Lakes Region, the Horn of Africa, and bordering states.

To mark the milestone, more than 6,000 illicit and obsolete small arms and light weapons (SALW) were publicly destroyed in a symbolic ceremony presided over by President William Ruto.

Speaking at the event, President Ruto expressed Kenya’s commitment to eliminate the threat posed by illegal firearms in the country.

“Today’s ceremony, which marks the destruction of more than 6,000 illegal firearms recovered between 2022 and 2025, therefore sends a clear and powerful message: we will not allow violence to take root in our communities, and we remain firmly committed to disarming those who threaten our peace and to strengthening the safety and security of every citizen,” Ruto said as he pledged to work with regional partners to silence the guns.

“The destruction of these weapons sends a clear message: we are united in our mission to create a safer, more peaceful region,” he said.

Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen and Principal Secretary Dr. Raymond Omollo also addressed the gathering, emphasizing the importance of enhanced regional collaboration, adoption of modern technology, and increased public participation in disarmament and arms control initiatives.

Comments

More on Capital News

NATIONAL NEWS

Even as he touted for economic revival, the head of state asserted that Kenyans’ lives and their property will be a priority.

Kenya

Families of those killed in the ‘Saba Saba’ anti-government protests have demanded an end to the violence, as outrage over police brutality intensifies and...

NATIONAL NEWS

The death of her husband marked not just the loss of a partner, a father to her children but the beginning of Anne’s rejection...

Top stories

Bridget Njoki Wainaina was inside their home with her parents when a bullet—allegedly fired by officers during a confrontation with protesters outside—pierced through the...

NATIONAL NEWS

The former Chief Justice said aggrieved youth must determine the means to achieve the said objective, without offering details.

Top stories

The UN body condemned the use of excessive force by police and urged Kenyan authorities to uphold the constitutional rights to peaceful assembly and...

NATIONAL NEWS

He hailed Nairobi as not just a UN hub but also a second home for his family, revealing that his daughter met her husband...