A team from the national focal point on small arms and light weapons from the Ministry of Internal Affairs is in the Kasese district to sensitize stakeholders about the dangers of illegal possession of firearms.

It's believed that many people especially in the western part of Uganda, innocent civilians have been killed due to illegal arms that enter the country through porous border points.

Porous border points have been one factor that facilitates the illicit of firearms into the country leading to instability.

While officiating at the opening of the stakeholders’ sensitization meeting on the illicit proliferation of small arms and light weapons control at the Mpondwe border in Kasese district, the Deputy RDC in a change of Bukonzo County Lt. Maate Magwara said that wrong elements have used the porous border points to smuggle firearms into the country from the Democratic Republic of Congo.

He also revealed that the illegal possession of firearms is not only affecting civilians but also the tourism sector where poachers have remained a threat to wildlife.

He calls for joint efforts in fighting the possession of illegal arms into the country from neighbouring countries.

The Deputy Coordinator of the national focal point on small arms and light weapons from the Ministry of Internal Affairs, Nakhaima Anthony acknowledges that the porous border line at the Mpondwe border is a challenge which needs to be critically looked at to end the vice of illegal possession of firearms.

He says that the ministry is very concerned about ending the vice by involving all players in development.