Detectives have recovered a police firearm that went missing under unusual circumstances in Nairobi's Central Business District, bringing to an end a week-long search that had raised security concerns.
The pistol, belonging to Sergeant Amos Kimathi, was recovered by the Directorate of Criminal Investigations at the Moi Avenue branch of Naivas Supermarket, where it had been hidden inside the luggage storage section.
According to investigators, the weapon was found wrapped in several carrier bags and concealed among fruits in the storage area. The firearm had reportedly disappeared on May 28 while the officer, who is attached to the Security of Government Buildings VIP Unit, was receiving a massage at a barber shop and spa along Mukhtar Daddah Street in Nairobi.
Police reports indicate that the officer had placed his loaded Ceska pistol beneath a cushion before beginning the massage session. He later became dizzy and fell asleep at around 4:00 p.m., only to wake up at approximately 11:00 p.m. and discover that the firearm was missing.
The disappearance triggered an intensive investigation by DCI detectives, who launched intelligence-led operations to trace the weapon. Investigators reviewed CCTV footage from various locations in an effort to establish the movements of the suspect and the missing firearm.
Surveillance footage eventually led detectives to the luggage bay of the supermarket at Development House on Moi Avenue. The footage reportedly showed a masked individual entering the premises, depositing a bag in the luggage holding section, and leaving without attracting attention.
Upon recovery, the pistol was found intact and still inside its holster. However, investigators noted that the magazine contained 13 rounds of 9mm ammunition instead of the original 15, raising concerns over the whereabouts of the two missing rounds.
Ballistic experts are now examining the firearm to determine whether the missing ammunition was discharged during the period the weapon was unaccounted for. The outcome of the forensic analysis is expected to play a crucial role in establishing whether the firearm was used in any criminal activity before it was abandoned.
Source attributed: The Standard