Michuki's Proposed Legislation To Make Gun Possession A Capital Offence

It is no surprise that the government wants to sponsor a bill in parliament to make illegal gun possession a capital offence that will be punishable by the death penalty. It had been earlier indicated that there was a move in the offing to amend legislation on the same.

Speaking after overseeing the destruction of over 8,000 firearms recovered from criminals, the minister of internal security John Michuki added that the penalty will also apply for those dealing in and handling illicit firearms.

With the rate of gun crime in the country, it should not be difficult for parliament to enact the new law as several legislators have also been victims of gun crime including Samburu East's Sammy Leshore who was crippled by a bullet to the spine a couple of years ago and has been confined to a wheel chair ever since.

Enacting the proposed bill will not necessarily reduce gun crime but will definitely up the cost of buying or hiring a firearm from the illegal dealers. I say crime won't go down as the number of idle youths and desperate citizens will not go down by making illegal firearm possession a capital offence.

And again, there are enough desperate guys who have lost hope in life and will always risk carrying and using an illicitly acquired weapon as long as they get an opportunity to rob someone and get away with it.

By the way, violent robbery is a capital offence in this country and that has never stopped the escalation of gun crime, in fact, it's getting more vicious by the day and one wonders whether the most deterrent laws are capable of prompting gangsters to turn over a new leaf.

I keep on saying in this blog and will repeat it again. The approach of arresting crime levels in this country should always be proactive rather than reactive. Sending gangsters to the gallows won't make potential criminals change their future plans, the government should instead try finding out why so many citizens are opting to risk their lives by turning to crime.

I do not intend to be a prophet of doom but the way I see it, the gun crime rate will maybe reduce a little after the new law comes to effect. And that is a very big "Maybe." After about three months or so, it is bound to soar again, maybe even to record levels after those involved in the trade inevitably get 'used to' the new legislation.

There are those who are always looking for ways to fix their enemies, especially politicians. Which better way than to plant guns on their premises and then tip the police? Suspected capital offenders don’t qualify for bond or bail and have their cases heard while they are in custody. Is there a better way of punishing your enemy than setting him up on an illegal firearms charge under the proposed new law?

The proposed bill has its pros and cons just like any other law but this one may prove to be counter productive as the government is failing to tackle the root problem. Perhaps getting Kenyans jobs and stressing on parents to impart moral values and probity to their children could be the first step prior to changing gun laws.

It will be interesting to hear the debates that our selfish legislators will engage in prior to voting for or against the proposed bill. By the way, our members of parliament also have to discuss other ways of how to rip off the treasury as their time is almost up. To them, the latter must be the priority.

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