Six respondents, including five serving police officers, will remain in custody for 10 days at Capitol Hill Police Station as Milimani detectives continue investigating alleged illegal possession of firearms and ammunition.
Chief Magistrate Lucas Onyina said the prosecution’s application had met the required legal threshold, directing that the case be mentioned on October 9 to review progress. He also instructed the investigating officer to ensure the suspects’ rights under the Persons Deprived of Liberty Act are fully respected.
The prosecution had initially sought 14 days, warning that releasing the officers could jeopardize investigations. Prosecutors said the suspects could interfere with exhibits stored in police armouries, destroy evidence, or frustrate efforts to trace accomplices.
They further described the sixth respondent as a flight risk, citing his links to Lokichogio near the Kenya–Sudan border. Investigators noted that ballistic reports on the recovered firearms were pending, and the suspects’ phones had yet to undergo forensic analysis.
Defence lawyers opposed the application, highlighting that the officers had already spent three days in custody. Danstan Omari, representing the fourth respondent, said his client, a chief inspector, only repaired defective firearms and had not handled live ammunition.
He also explained that Sh 550,000 seized from his client’s home was intended for university fees. Advocate Shadrack Wamboi raised health concerns for one officer, noting persistent chest problems after contracting Covid-19 in 2021.
The defence team also challenged claims of flight risk, emphasizing the officers’ fixed residences, and argued that prolonged detention violated Articles 24, 45, 49, and 50 of the Constitution.
The case follows the September 25 arrest of Corporal Isaac Kipngetich, an armourer at Turkana County Police Headquarters, who was intercepted in Nairobi with 1,007 rounds of 5.56mm ammunition hidden in a backpack.
Police allege the ammunition was meant for criminal networks involved in violent raids and banditry in the North Rift. Kipngetich, who was on annual leave, was arraigned the following day, raising concern within the service due to his sensitive role as an armourer.
The six respondents under investigation are Charles Lotira, Ileli Cyrus, Samson Murithi, Wesley Sang, Paul Kipketer, and Isaac Kipngetich.
