Six serving police officers have been formally accused of involvement in an illicit ammunition trafficking ring with suspected cross-border connections. The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) Operations Support Unit is seeking a 14-day custodial order to detain the suspects at Capitol Hill Police Station, arguing that their release would jeopardise an ongoing, delicate investigation and pose a substantial flight risk.
The suspects named in the application filed at the Milimani Law Courts are Charles Lotira Exidor, Ileli Cyrus Kisamwa, Samson Muriithi Mutongu, Wesley Sang, and Paul Kipketer Tonui. According to an affidavit sworn by Investigating Officer CPL Hillary Kimuyu, the individuals were arrested on September 26, 2025, in various locations within Eldoret and Nairobi. The arrests followed an investigation logged at Capitol Hill Police Station.
The court documents detail that upon the suspects’ arrests, police recovered one Remington Rand pistol, nineteen assorted magazines, and a quantity of ammunition believed to be linked to illicit trafficking.
The DCI’s preliminary findings suggest a coordinated operation. The second and third respondents, Ileli Cyrus Kisamwa and Samson Muriithi Mutongu, are alleged to have been involved in ferrying the ammunition from central stores in Nairobi where they are both stationed.
The first respondent, Charles Lotira Exidor, identified as a prison officer, was reportedly tasked with receiving and transporting the contraband to Lodwar. Intelligence reports further connect Exidor to the sale of ammunition at the Lokichogio market, near the porous Kenya-South Sudan border. The fourth and fifth respondents, Wesley Sang and Paul Kipketer Tonui, are named as the custodians of the keys to the store where the recovered ammunition had been kept.
The prosecution’s application, brought under Article 49(1) of the Constitution and Section 36A of the Criminal Procedure Code, hinges on several critical concerns. A primary argument is that as serving officers within the Kenya Prisons Service and the National Police Service, the respondents hold positions of authority and access.
The DCI contends that if released, they could contact and intimidate potential witnesses, including civilian traders in Turkana and fellow officers. There is also a high risk they could interfere with yet-to-be-recovered exhibits stored in official armouries and frustrate efforts to trace their accomplices.
Furthermore, the DCI highlighted the cross-border dimension of the case, noting a “substantial risk of flight.” Specifically, it was pointed out that Charles Lotira Exidor’s direct links to the Lokichogio market, which straddles the international boundary, make it easy for him to abscond if released on bail. The investigation itself is described as being at a delicate and advanced stage, requiring more time for crucial tasks.
These include conducting ballistic analysis on the recovered firearm and magazines, performing digital forensics on seized mobile phones, tracing and arresting additional suspects in Turkana and Nairobi, and securing documentary evidence from police and prison armouries.
The affidavit startlingly reveals that after further investigations, more grievous charges, including robbery with violence and murder, are likely to be preferred against the respondents.
The prosecution has asserted that these complex investigations cannot be reasonably concluded within the standard 24-hour detention period and require a full 14 days. Emphasising the gravity of the situation, the application states that the offences directly touch on national security, particularly given the current volatility in the North Rift region due to banditry and the proliferation of small arms.
The matter is set to be heard before Magistrate Lucas Onyina, who will determine whether to grant the state’s application to detain the five officers for the requested period to allow for a complete investigation.
