Attitudes to firearms and crime in Nairobi: Results of a city survey

This research paper presents the results of a June-July 2001 survey of 1,831 residents, businesspeople, and households in Nairobi to assess firearm penetration, community attitudes toward security, and the perceived link between crime and weapon ownership.

• A significant majority of Nairobi residents perceive an increase in both crime and the prevalence of firearms. Specifically, 84% of respondents believe the number of firearms in the city has increased, and 73% believe the level of crime has increased.
• There is a strong correlation between being a victim of robbery and a willingness to possess weapons. Robbery victims are nearly twice as likely to carry a weapon (15% vs 8%) or a firearm specifically compared to those who have not been robbed.
• Gender is a primary determinant in the willingness to carry and access firearms. 14% of males carry a weapon compared to 5% of females, and 18% of males report having access to a firearm compared to 8% of females.
• The business community in Nairobi perceives a high level of firearm use in crimes targeting businesses, with over 90% stating that firearms are used 'sometimes', 'often', or 'all the time'.
• Public trust in the police is low, with 47% of respondents believing the police service has become less efficient in the last twelve months. Perceived inefficiency is attributed largely to poor remuneration, lack of morale (32%), and corruption (30%).
• When asked how to improve safety, respondents prioritized systemic governance over specific security strategies. 40% identified good governance and tackling corruption as key, while only 4% suggested changing legislation and 6% suggested crime reduction strategies.
• To improve the control of firearms, the public views better policing (46%) and improved border controls (18%) as the most effective measures, while education (1%) and community-based initiatives (4%) are seen as largely ineffective.

APA

Jefferson, C., & Urquhart, A. (2002). Attitudes to firearms and crime in Nairobi: Results of a city survey. Institute for Security Studies. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/NAIROBI5.PDF

Chicago

Jefferson, Clare, and Angus Urquhart. Attitudes to firearms and crime in Nairobi: Results of a city survey. Institute for Security Studies, 2002. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/NAIROBI5.PDF.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Jefferson |first1=Clare |last2=Urquhart |first2=Angus |title=Attitudes to firearms and crime in Nairobi: Results of a city survey |publisher=Institute for Security Studies |date=July 2002 |url=https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/NAIROBI5.PDF |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{jefferson2002attitudes, author = {Jefferson, Clare and Urquhart, Angus}, title = {{Attitudes to firearms and crime in Nairobi: Results of a city survey}}, institution = {Institute for Security Studies}, year = {2002}, month = jul, url = {https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/NAIROBI5.PDF}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }