How strict are gun laws in Kenya?
Restrictive
Handguns are licensed only at the authorities' discretion, or only to club members or existing owners.
Kenya is one of 87 countries classified “Restrictive” for civilian gun ownership — 43% of the 202 with data. (Also searched as firearm laws.)
Source
- Last checked
- 17 September 2026
- How it was classified
- Read directly from the source’s own table, without interpretation.
Nearby countries
- Uganda
- Restrictive Handguns are licensed only at the authorities' discretion, or only to club members or existing owners.
- Ethiopia
- Restrictive Handguns are licensed only at the authorities' discretion, or only to club members or existing owners.
- Tanzania
- Restrictive Handguns are licensed only at the authorities' discretion, or only to club members or existing owners.
- Rwanda
- Restrictive Handguns are licensed only at the authorities' discretion, or only to club members or existing owners.
- Burundi
- Restrictive Handguns are licensed only at the authorities' discretion, or only to club members or existing owners.
- South Sudan
- Permissive Handguns are permitless and concealed carry is unregulated, making self-defense sufficient for acquisition.
Other laws in Kenya
- Death Penalty
- Not used in practice
- Military Conscription
- No conscription
Every law in Kenya → · How strict are gun laws around the world? →
A visual reference compiled from Wikipedia’s law-by-country articles, not legal advice. Laws change and summaries simplify — check a primary source before relying on anything here.