Publication

The governments in Kenya and Uganda have launched civilian disarmament programmes, but with mixed success. This paper provides an overview of civilian disarmament experiences in the two countries over more than a century in an attempt to identify lessons and provide recommendations that should reinforce the two countries’ legislative and policy frameworks for disarmament and small arms and light weapons (SALW) control. It begins by setting out the nature of the problem as it stands: the cost of illicit weapons proliferation in the region, and the factors that drive demand. The historical roots of small arms proliferation are then explored in detail.