A towering stack of illicit and obsolete small arms and light weapons burns fiercely, sending bright flames and smoke into the clear blue sky.
A large crowd — including security officers, Interior Ministers, and delegates from the 15 RECSA Member States — watches the destruction from a safe distance.
This powerful scene unfolded on June 13, 2025, at the National Police Leadership Academy in Ngong, where Kenya hosted the commemoration of 20 years since the establishment of the Regional Centre on Small Arms and Light Weapons (RECSA).
The symbolic burning of over 6,000 illegal firearms, presided over by President William Ruto, marked two decades of regional cooperation to tackle the threat of illicit weapons and reaffirmed Kenya’s commitment to promoting peace and disarmament across the Great Lakes Region, the Horn of Africa, and neighbouring states.
“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.
“A firearm in the wrong hands is not just a potent weapon; it is a direct assault on the safety of our citizens, the stability of our society, and the peace we have worked so diligently to build. In the hands of criminals, such a firearm enables lawlessness, escalates violence, and undermines the rule of law,” President Ruto added.
The Head of State said efforts to recover illicit small arms and light weapons are aligned with the African Union’s “Silencing the Guns in Africa by 2030” initiative, led by the Regional Centre on Small Arms and Light Weapons.
“While this target remains a work in progress, I am proud to affirm that Kenya has made commendable strides towards that vision.”
