Police officers to spend more days in custody over lost guns
Kipasi Police Post in Mbita Sub-county on November 17,2022. Four guns were stolen at the post.
Three police officers arrested over lost guns and ammunition at the Kipasi Police Post in Mbita sub-county will be detained until Monday next week, when they are expected to plead to charges.
The three, who worked as police officers at the base, were accused of negligence as they were supposed to guard the armoury that was broken into by unknown criminals on Wednesday night.
Following the incident, the National Police Service decided to interdict them.
They are sergeant Jacob Kalo and constables Derrick Obungu and Geoffrey Kiprotich.
Investigators sought a court order to detain the suspects at the Homa Bay Police Station as they seek evidence to connect them to the theft.
Their detention came after the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) requested the court to allow them to continue holding them for further investigations.
Pose risk to investigations
Mbita DCI officer Julius Cheruiyot argued in a sworn affidavit that releasing the officers would undermine their investigations.
Mr Cheruiyot said the three officers were on duty on the night the weapons were stolen.
He said they must be held responsible for the loss, accusing them of negligence.
“The respondents willfully neglected their official duty of safeguarding the police post armoury, occasioning loss of the weapons. They failed to take necessary action to prevent commission of the offence under their jurisdiction,” he said in the affidavit.
Homa Bay Principal Magistrate Ruth Maloba directed that the officers be remanded at the Homa Bay Police Station until Monday.
“I therefore authorise [the] Homa Bay OCS to detain the suspects to allow investigations. There is no cost to this application,” Ms Maloba ruled.
Meanwhile, security officers are searching for the stolen weapons.
