Role of County Government in Addressing Proliferation of Small Arms and Light Weapons in Samburu

The proliferation of small Arms and Light Weapons (SALW) has been a persistent problem in Samburu for a long time. Indeed, the numerous cases of armed conflicts within the pastoralist zones, armed crimes in the urban centers and the emerging acts of terrorism in Kenya point to availability of many illicit SALWs in the wrong hands. Efforts meant to address the issue have failed to yield positive results. With the promulgation of the Constitution of Kenya 2010 and the implementation of devolution, there was hope that counties would be able to deal with such problems at the local level. It is in light of this that this study seeks to examine the role of county government in dealing with the issue in Samburu. The main puzzle is that despite the reorganization of the administration structure through devolution, county governments have failed to address most of the pressing issues that negatively affect developmental activities. Although security remains a National Government function, county governments ought to coordinate and work closely with the National Government to address such issues. The study used a mixed methodology and was anchored on securitization theory. The study found out that the rampant proliferation of SALWs led to human rights violation, armed crime and insecurity. A good number of the respondents further indicated that the youth have used these weapons to engage in the criminal activities leading to underdevelopment in the County. The study recommends that both the National Government and County Government of Samburu should adopt international norms regulate, control and prevent the cross boarder movement of SALW from conflict prone regions to other parts that are not yet affected by conflicts.