A draft law on arms that is under discussion in the Lower House lays out conditions under which individual citizens can apply for a licence to possess a gun and for individual traders to secure a licence to sell firearms. On Thursday, legislators started passing the draft law relating to arms, which will determine procedures for the acquisition, possession, carriage, manufacturing, sale, storage and obtaining of all types of arms. Under the draft law, arms are defined as firearms and their ammunition, grenade and other explosives used as arms as well as nuclear, biological, chemical or toxic weapons. Just like the current law on arms, which was enacted in 2009 and will soon be replaced by new legislation, the proposed law allows civilians to possess firearms for hunting, sports, or for self-defence purposes if they meet the conditions described in the law. But the law specifies that the Rwanda National Police authorities, who will be responsible for issuing gun possession licences, may refuse to grant firearm possession and carriage licence at their own discretion. The State Minister for Constitutional and Legal Affairs, Evode Uwizeyimana, told The New Times on Friday that gun ownership will remain a tightly-controlled and regulated area even if possession and carriage of the guns will be allowed under the proposed law. “Even if it’s allowed to possess arms, we aren’t going to distribute them like voting cards,” he said. Both the minister and a Member of Parliament who is involved in the analysis of the draft law, John Ruku-Rwabyoma, said that the new draft law is clearer when it comes to the State allowing individual people to sell or manufacture guns. Under Article 13 of the proposed law on arms, requirements for individuals to sell arms spelt out. For a person to be authorised to sell arms, the bill stipulates, they shall submit a request letter to the Minister in charge of the Rwanda National Police and attach copies of their identity card or passport, shall be people of integrity, and be at least 21 years old. Those wishing to sell arms will not have been sentenced to a term of imprisonment equal to or exceeding six months, shall show a safe place where to keep the arms, shall produce a legal commercial registration, and shall commit to not collaborate with terrorist organisations or individual terrorists. The Cabinet will also have to authorise individuals before they can start selling arms in the country. Ruku-Rwabyoma, who is a member of the parliamentary Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and Security which analysed the draft law, said that if it is passed by Parliament as it is should be able to buy guns from their local shops. “People will be able to buy arms from gun dealers. We are liberalising such things and we should be able to buy them from any competitive dealer. We are moving into liberalising trade. We want to catch up with how things are done elsewhere and there is nothing wrong with buying arms from a licenced dealer,” he said. Minister Uwizeyimana reiterated that the new proposed law will make it clear that selling and manufacturing fire-arms will be allowed and regulated in Rwanda. “We are a country that is fast developing and instead of limiting different things we should move to regulate them,” he said. Apart from including provisions on the sale of fire-arms in Rwanda, the law on arms will be amended to include related offences and penalties in it instead of keeping these provisions in the Penal Code whose reviews have been ongoing. Legislators in the Lower House will continue debate on the proposed law on arms next week as part of the final stage to pass it at the parliamentary level. editorial@newtimes.co.rw
