By Patrick Jaramogi

STRINGENT laws are needed to address the proliferation of small arms and light weapons in the East African region, activists have advised. “We have designed a draft proposal that will see a new firearms Act coming into force soon,” said Richard Mugisha, the chairperson of Uganda Action Network on Small Arms.

Addressing editors at a workshop at Hotel Equatoria in Kampala recently, Mugisha called for the harmonisation of laws in order to curb the perpetrators of illegal arms.

He observed that peace could not be attained in the region if the issue is not addressed jointly.

Canon Joyce Nima, a member of the Uganda Joint Christian Council, remarked: “We cannot be safe as long as the guns are proliferated. This is an international trade that we are trying to combat.”

She said a survey was being conducted on the issue, which would soon be discussed by a council of ministers from the region.

“The law in place does not favour the people. It is aimed at protecting the gun and punishing the people. We want better laws.”

Mukiibi Sserwanga, the chairperson of the network of small arms, said once the new law is enforced, it would ease the work of locating lost weapons through a computer network.