Proliferation of illicit firearms and cattle rustling in Tigania East Sub-County

Abstract

Although many African countries have adopted regional and global policies on arms control, the continued illicit proliferation of small arms and light weapons is an indication of wider transnational organized crime on the continent that calls for more attention The arms have been used to claim the lives of many soldiers as well as innocent civilians. The objective of the study will be to examine security challenges resulting from proliferation of illicit arms and strategies of mitigating cattle rustling in Tigania East sub county, Meru County. Study population consists of 105 respondents composed of opinion leaders, security personnel, administrators, community members and herders. The populations have been affected in one way or another by the proliferation of illicit firearms and cattle rustling, thus relevant to the research topic. The study employed convenient sampling of 105 respondents out of the targeted 210.Survey design was used in this study. It is the best method of collecting original data for the purpose of describing population which is too large. Datawas collected using both questionnaires and structured interview schedule. Descriptive method was used in analyzing qualitative data. The frequencies and proportions were used in interpreting the respondent’s perceptions of issues raised in the questionnaires to answer the research questions in in tables and pie- chart format. The quantitative data was entered, coded and analyzed using Statistically Package for Social Scientists (SSPS) computer programme. The research revealed that there is a strong link between proliferation of illicit arms and cattle rustling, that porous borders, corruption and need to safeguard ancestral community boundaries and grazing fields hasimpacted negatively on thegeneral security of the region. The study recommends that disarming the civilian alone is not is not a solution to cattle rustling, but would include sensitization on negative effects of illicit arms, addressing the administrative and community boundary dispute, stamping out corruption, securing porous borders and cross border trade in arms, incorporating community policing and appealing for the intervention of the political class ,amending laws to make cattle rustling a capital offence ,diversifying the economic activities, and registering( up taking) illicit arms, sorting out the land tenure and the use of the trust land , opening up of infrastructure in the region and employing a retrained NPR with proper accountable and supervisory procedures, and deployment of modern surveillance technology(bolas and drones) A summary of the Written report will be disseminated to the relevant authorities for consideration and implementation of the recommendations.