FIREARMS ACT.

An Act to amend and consolidate the law relating to the regulation, control, manufacture, import, export, sale, repair, storage and possession of firearms and ammunition and for other matters connected therewith.

PART I
PRELIMINARY.

1. Interpretation.

In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires—

(a) "acquiring" means hiring, accepting as a gift and borrowing, and the expression "acquire" and "acquisition" shall be construed accordingly;

(b) "ammunition" includes grenades, bombs and other like missiles and cartridges blank, tracer, explosive, incendiary, observing or signalling cartridges and any ammunition containing or designed or adapted to contain shot, bullet or any noxious liquid, gas or other thing whether capable of use with a firearm or not;

(d) "approved carrier" means a carrier approved by the chief licensing officer;

(e) "approved servant" means an employee approved by the chief licensing officer;

(f) "approved warehouseman" means a warehouseman approved by the chief licensing officer;

(g) "arms of war" means artillery of all kinds, apparatus for the discharge of explosive or gas diffusing projectiles, flame throwers, bombs, grenades, machine guns and rifled small-bore, breech loading weapons, whether all or any of those arms of war are assembled or in parts, but does not include sporting rifles, or personal or other weapons or apparatus not intended for warlike purpose;

(h) "cadet unit" means a cadet unit established under any enactment for the time being in force;

(i) "chief licensing officer" means a person appointed under section 2 to be chief licensing officer;

(j) "currency point" has the value assigned to it in the Schedule to this Act;

(k) "customs officer" has the same meaning as "officer" as defined in the East African Customs and Transfer Tax Management Act;

(l) "firearm" means any barrelled weapon (other than an imitation firearm) from which any shot, bullet or other missile capable of causing injury can be discharged, adapted for the discharge of any such shot, bullet or other missile, and any weapon of whatever description designed or adapted for the discharge of any noxious liquid, gas or other thing dangerous to human beings, and includes any component part of any such weapon as aforesaid and any accessory to any such weapon designed or adapted to eliminate or diminish the noise or flash caused by firing any such weapon, but does not include any antique firearm which has been rendered incapable of use as a firearm;

(m) "firearm dealer" means a person who, by way of trade or business, is registered to buy, sell or transfer firearms or ammunition;

(n) "functions" includes powers and duties;

(o) "gunsmith" means a person who, by way of profession and qualification, is registered under this Act to repair, test and prove firearms and ammunition;

(p) "licensing officer" means a person appointed under section 2 to be a licensing officer;

(q) "police force" means the Uganda Police Force provided for under article 211(1) of the Constitution;

(r) "police officer" has the same meaning as in the Police Act;

(s) "prescribed" means prescribed by regulations;

(t) "prison service" has the same meaning as in the Prisons Act;

(u) "purchase" and "sale" include exchange, barter, expose for exchange, barter or sale, and any derivative expression shall be construed accordingly;

(v) "slaughtering instrument" means a firearm which is specially designed or adapted for the instantaneous slaughter of animals or for the instantaneous stubbing of animals with a view to slaughtering them;

(w) "transferring" includes letting on hire, giving, lending and parting with possession, and the expressions "transfer", "transferee" and "transferor" shall be construed accordingly.

2. Appointment of chief licensing officer and other licensing officers.

(1) The Minister shall, by statutory order, appoint a senior police officer to be the chief licensing officer who shall perform such functions and exercise such powers as are conferred on him or her by this Act.

(2) The Minister shall appoint, in writing from among police officers, a deputy chief licensing officer who shall be under the direction of the chief licensing officer.

(3) For the purposes of this Act, every police commander of a district shall be a licensing officer for that district.

(4) The chief licensing officer, the deputy chief licensing officer and all licensing officers appointed under this Act shall, in the performance of their functions under this Act, be subject to the directions of the Minister.

(5) The functions of the chief licensing officer under this Act may be performed or exercised, subject to the directions of the chief licensing officer, by the deputy chief licensing officer.

PART II
REGULATION OF PURCHASE, POSSESSION, MANUFACTURE AND SALE OF FIREARMS AND AMMUNITION AND OF OTHER TRANSACTIONS.

3. Restrictions on purchasing, etc. of firearms or ammunition.

(1) Subject to this Act, no person shall purchase, acquire or have in his or her possession any firearm or ammunition unless, in respect of each such firearm, he or she holds a valid firearm certificate.

(2) Any person who—

(a) purchases, acquires or has in his or her possession any firearm or ammunition without holding a valid firearm certificate, or otherwise than as authorised by such a certificate, or, in the case of ammunition, in quantities in excess of those so authorised; or

(b) fails to comply with any condition, subject to which a firearm certificate is held by him or her,

commits an offence and is liable on conviction to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 10 years or to a fine not exceeding 60 currency points or both.

(3) Notwithstanding subsection (1), no person shall purchase or acquire any ammunition unless he or she is in possession of a permit in the prescribed form issued by a licensing officer.

(4) Any person who contravenes subsection (3), commits an offence and is liable on conviction, to imprisonment not exceeding one year or a fine not exceeding 60 currency points or both.

4. Issue of firearm certificates.

(1) A firearm certificate shall entitle the holder to purchase, acquire, have in his or her possession or use the firearm and ammunition described in the certificate.

(2) The chief licensing officer shall keep or cause to be kept a register of firearm certificates and shall cause to be entered in it the name of every person to whom a firearm certificate has been issued.

(3) An application for the issue of a firearm certificate shall be made in the prescribed form to the chief licensing officer and shall contain the prescribed particulars.

(4) The chief licensing officer may, in his or her discretion, refuse to issue a firearm certificate without assigning any reason for the refusal and in any case, he or she shall refuse to issue a firearm certificate unless he or she is satisfied that the person applying for the firearm certificate—

(a) is not prohibited by any provision of this Act from purchasing, acquiring or having in his or her possession a firearm or ammunition;

(b) has reasonable cause to purchase, acquire or have in his or her possession a firearm or ammunition;

(d) has attained the age of 25 years;

(e) is of sound mind and of temperate habits;

(f) will take all proper steps to ensure the safe custody of the firearm in respect of which the application is made and will install a minimum safety to the satisfaction of the police officer in charge of the area in which he or she resides;

(g) is in all other respects a fit and proper person to purchase, acquire or have in his or her possession a firearm.

(5) A firearm certificate in respect of a weapon to be used for sporting purposes shall be subject to the holder obtaining—

(a) in the case of a shotgun or.22 rifle, a bird licence; and

(b) in the case of any other rifle or combined rifle/shotgun, a game licence.

(6) The licences referred to in subsection (5) shall be obtained within three months from the date of the issue of the firearm certificate and if no such licences are obtained within that period, the firearm certificate shall cease to have any validity.

(7) The chief licencing officer may in his or her discretion impose conditions subject to which a firearm certificate issued by him or her shall be held.

(8) A firearm certificate issued under this section—

(a) shall be in the prescribed form;

(b) shall contain such conditions as may be prescribed;

(i) such other conditions, if any, imposed under subsection (7), subject to which it is held;

(ii) the nature, description and mark or number of identification of the firearm in respect of which it is issued;

(iii) if it is in relation to ammunition, the quantity and type authorised to be purchased and to be held at any one time;

(d) shall, unless previously revoked or annulled, continue in force until the 31st"> day of December in the year in which it was issued;

(e) shall be renewable for a further period of one year by the licensing officer for the area in which the holder resides; and

(f) the provisions of this section shall apply to its renewal as they apply to its issue.

(9) The chief licensing officer may, at any time, by notice in writing, vary the conditions, other than the prescribed conditions, subject to which a firearm certificate is held and may by the notice require the holder to deliver up to him or her the firearm certificate, within such time as he or she may specify in the notice, for the purpose of amending the conditions specified in the certificate.

(10) Any person who, for the purpose of procuring, whether for himself or herself any other person, the issue of a firearm certificate or the renewal of a firearm certificate, makes any statement which he or she knows to be false or does not believe to be true, commits an offence and is liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding five years or to a fine not exceeding 60 currency points or both.

5. Suspension or revocation of firearm certificate.

(1) The chief licensing officer may in his or her discretion suspend or revoke a firearm certificate without assigning any reason for the suspension or revocation.

(2) Where—

(a) a firearm certificate is suspended or revoked under subsection (1); or

(b) the licensing officer, after consultation with the chief licensing officer, refuses to renew a firearm certificate,

the chief licensing officer shall, by notice in writing, require the holder to surrender to him or her the firearm certificate and to deposit the firearm and ammunition to which it relates in such police station as the chief licensing officer may direct, and the holder who fails so to do within 14 days from the date of the notice commits an offence and is liable on conviction to imprisonment not exceeding one year or a fine not exceeding 60 currency points or both.

(3) Where an appeal is made under section 22 against the suspension or revocatio

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