Gun applicants to undergo one month training

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | All gun applicants will first undergo one-month training. This is according to Apollo Kateeba, the Acting Police Commissioner for Private Security and Firearms.

Kateeba, in an interview with Uganda Radio Network, said it is a no longer a matter of just presenting a certificate on gun handling from anywhere. Applicants will strictly be trained by police for at least a month before acquiring license for a personal gun.

Police said all individuals applying to acquire guns will have to undergo training on gun handling, shooting, assembling and dismantling.

Although he could not reveal the exact figures on the number of applications waiting to acquire private guns, since issuance of firearm licenses was halted in 2016, Kateeba said there is overwhelming number of applicants.

Police records show over 3,000 guns are being owned by individuals ranging from business people, politicians and other professionals.

By close of 2016, police had close to 4,000 applications from individuals seeking to acquire guns of which more than 2000 were residents of Wakiso District.

For one to acquire license to procure and possess a personal gun, Kateeba said he or she must present sufficient reasons on why or she needs a personal gun. The applicant then pays 50,000 shillings in the bank for an application form which can only be accessed at police’s department for private security and firearms at police headquarters or one can be guided at regional level.

The applicant must attach recommendations from Local Councils – LCs I, II, III, Resident District Commissioner –RDC and District Police Commander –DPC. After submitting the application file to private security and firearms department, the applicants are immediately on enrolled on a one-month training on gun management.

The training is used to check and assess a person’s strength, resilience, anger management and what type of gun he or she can comfortably handle. The training can be conducted at regional levels. Not all guns, according to Kateeba, can be allowed to in hands of individuals.

Kateeba said once police are convinced that a person is capable of managing a gun, he is issued with a certificate referred to as gun handling certificate which is attached to application file and then submitted to Inspector General of Police –IGP for recommendation.

If the IGP sees no reason for objection, he attaches a recommendation and it is then submitted to the Internal Affairs minister as the last authority. The minister, if convinced too, recommends issuance of the gun license. It is at this moment; police would accompany the applicant to licensed gun distributor to acquire the recommended type.

Kateeba said the reason why police accompany the applicant to legitimate gun distributor is to ensure he or she does not disappear with it before it fingerprinted and marked in the owner’s name for easy tracking.

Individual gun owners are required to apply for renewal of their licenses every year. It is also a period police reassess how the individual used or handled his gun in the past year. Failure to apply for renewal, police withdraws it from the owner and there is no refund for money used to purchase it.

Internal Affairs and Police records of 2016 show there are over 19000 guns in the hands of private companies and individuals. Of these, 3,000 are with civilians and 16,000 are in private security companies.

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