The National Police Service could soon be required to account for every firearm in its possession through a nationwide electronic monitoring system, following a parliamentary push to close gaps that have left dozens of weapons and ammunition missing.
The National Assembly has given Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja three months to present a plan for the proposed system after police records showed that 12 firearms and 75 bullets lost over the past two years remain unaccounted for.
The National Assembly Petitions Committee wants the police chief to provide a clear roadmap detailing how the service will move away from manual firearm records to a digital platform capable of monitoring weapons at every stage of their use and storage.
The plan must outline the legal changes needed to support the reforms, the proposed implementation process and the budget required to establish the system. Parliament expects to receive the proposals within three months of adopting the committee's report, ahead of the 2027-28 Budget Policy Statement discussions.
The push for a new system follows concerns that the current method of recording firearms depends heavily on physical registers and ledgers, leaving room for delays in identifying missing weapons or detecting movements that have not been authorised.
Under the existing arrangement, police use manual records to document when firearms are issued to officers, transferred, stored or returned. This has made it difficult for commanders to maintain immediate oversight of weapons, particularly during security operations and other situations where firearms are moved frequently.
In its submissions to the committee, the National Police Service defended the current arrangement, saying it provides “a functional and auditable chain of custody”. However, the service acknowledged that it has “inherent limitations in real-time monitoring, particularly in a rapidly evolving security environment”.
The matter was brought before Parliament through a petition by Emmanuel Kelly Ojow, who questioned the effectiveness of existing measures for safeguarding government firearms.
Ojow pointed to attacks on police stations and posts, arguing that such incidents had exposed weaknesses in the way weapons held by officers are monitored and protected.
Figures presented by the police showed that 42 government firearms and 107 rounds of ammunition went missing between January 2024 and June 2026.
Although security agencies have managed to recover 30 of the missing guns, the remaining 12 have yet to be traced. The police also reported that 75 bullets remain missing out of the 107 lost during the period.
The service attributed the incidents largely to attacks on police installations and ambushes targeting officers, where armed assailants forcibly took possession of government weapons.
The proposed digital platform is expected to establish an electronic trail for each firearm, making it possible to follow its movement from central armouries to the officers assigned to use it in the field.
It would also enable police commanders to receive alerts whenever a weapon is moved outside authorised procedures, giving them an opportunity to investigate suspicious activity and act before firearms are lost or misused.
Beyond digitising records, the petition proposed the introduction of armouries secured through biometric identification, encrypted tracking technology and real-time alerts whenever irregularities are detected.
It further called for measures to shield sensitive operational information from unauthorised access, a dedicated budget to support the project and legal protection for officers who could face difficulties arising from technological failures.
The National Police Service expressed support for the proposed changes, describing the petition as a “timely and welcome intervention” that could strengthen firearm accountability, improve investigations and enhance national security.
However, the police warned that the transition would not be possible without sufficient financial support and proper preparations. It said the rollout would need a strong legal and policy foundation, effective cybersecurity safeguards and extensive training for officers who will be expected to operate the new technology.
The committee's recommendations now require the Inspector General to translate the proposed reforms into an implementation plan that will allow Parliament to assess the cost, legal requirements and practical steps needed to introduce the system.