A police officer at Kitale Police Station in Trans Nzoia County faces investigation after allegedly handing over his weapon to a person impersonating a newly transferred colleague, leading to the loss of a rifle and ammunition.
According to an occurrence book (OB) report, the incident happened on Tuesday, May 19, at approximately 9:30pm, when a man in a police raincoat approached the station’s main entrance and stated he had recently been transferred from Eldoret Police Station.
The purported assailant approached the station and engaged in conversation with the night guard, PC Ishmael Kimutai, while PC Cornelius Kiplimo and Cpl Jeremiah Rotich were on duty, expressing the need for lodging within the police quarters.
After a brief exchange, the purported assailant asked for directions to purchase food, which prompted PC Kimutai to accompany him to a nearby hotel.
The OB report indicates that the purported assailant requested assistance from PC Kimutai in carrying his Stryer rifle, serial number 3177302, which contained 25 rounds of 9mm ammunition, as they proceeded toward local shops.
Police authorities stated that the officer relinquished the weapon just before the suspect mounted a waiting motorcycle and fled toward Kitale town.
The report further reveals that the officer neither raised an alarm immediately nor reported to the officer in charge, only making a phone call after the suspect had already escaped.
Police authorities mentioned that the OCS later dispatched a team to pursue and retrieve the rifle, while the three officers stationed at the gate, Cpl Rotich, PC Kimutai, and PC Kiplimo, were held for further investigation.