Rwanda has issued new stringent guidelines for gun ownership, including redefining crimes and assigned penalties in case of misuse of firearms.

The reforms, included in the amended the 2009 law relating arms, were approved by the lower parliament this week and are yet to be gazetted.

However, tabling the Bill before parliament this week, Evode Uwizeyemana, Rwanda’s State Minister in charge of Constitution and Legal Affairs, defended the amendments of the 2009 law governing gun ownership indicating that they are required to facilitate government to meet international standards and seal any loopholes that might be explored by criminals.

“Any individual seeking to own a gun will have to be vetted, the process will look at very important things like background information, the person seeking to own a gun should first produce a certificate of sound mental state from a recognised doctor.

“But the Rwanda National Police who is the last regulator in this case have discretionary powers to deny someone a license; even if the person seeking it has produced all paper work needed and these shouldn’t be subject to court cases,” he said.

Article 8 of the law states that any person seeking a gun licence should among other things submit a letter to the Rwanda National Police justifying the application; the person should be of integrity, be at least 21 years old and have a medical certificate issued by an authorised medical doctor stating that he/she has no mental illness.

The same person should as well have a clean criminal record, not have been sentenced to a term of imprisonment equal to or exceeding six months and to show a legally recognised licence for firearm possession and carriage for a foreigner who is in possession thereof.

Public concern

The parliamentary debate to approve the Bill fuelled public concern that the move by government was ill-informed prompting the Ministry of Justice to call a press conference to clarify the different amendments.

Rwandans on social media expressed fears that the current amendments may be misused by criminals.

“It’s very difficult for an individual or an institution without security in their obligations to successfully go through the stringent process to own, manufacture or sell guns.

It’s not impossible to own one but the level of scrutiny and controls are now even tighter and the possibilities even fewer,” said Johnston Busingye, Rwanda’s Minister of Justice and Attorney General, defending the amendment following public uproar.

However, analysts are calling for massive sensitisation campaigns on gun ownership to address the negative perceptions and to increase awareness of the law.

Prof Francois Masabo, the Director of Center for Conflict Management at the University of Rwanda, an institution dealing in peace and security policies, government should have balanced effects that relate to societal issues before the law comes in place.