Six police officers face 14-day detention in cross-border ammunition trafficking probe
The DCI warned that if released, the officers could intimidate both civilian and police witnesses, tamper with evidence still in armouries, and obstruct efforts to trace accomplices.
The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) has asked the court to detain six serving police officers for 14 days over allegations of involvement in a cross-border ammunition trafficking ring.
In an application filed at the Milimani Law Courts, the DCI argued that releasing the suspects would compromise ongoing investigations, risk interference with witnesses, and increase the likelihood of flight.
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The six officers — Charles Lotira Exidor, Ileli Cyrus Kisamwa, Samson Muriithi Mutongu, Wesley Sang, and Paul Kipketer Tonui — were arrested on September 26, 2025, in Eldoret and Nairobi. They are drawn from both the Kenya Prisons Service and the National Police Service.
In a sworn affidavit, Investigating Officer Corporal Hillary Kimuyu told the court that police recovered a Remington Rand pistol, 19 assorted magazines, and a quantity of ammunition linked to the illicit trade.
Coordinated operation
He said preliminary findings indicate a coordinated operation involving the suspects, with some accused of ferrying ammunition from central stores in Nairobi, while others allegedly handled storage keys and facilitated transport to Lodwar and Lokichogio, near the Kenya-South Sudan border.
The DCI warned that if released, the officers could intimidate both civilian and police witnesses, tamper with evidence still in armouries, and obstruct efforts to trace accomplices.
The affidavit also cited intelligence linking Exidor to ammunition sales at the Lokichogio market, raising fears he might abscond.
Prosecutors told the court that the case has a cross-border dimension and investigators need more time to conduct ballistic tests, carry out digital forensics on seized phones, arrest additional suspects, and retrieve documents from armouries.
They further disclosed that more serious charges, including robbery with violence and murder, may be preferred against the suspects.
The state’s application, filed under Article 49(1) of the Constitution and Section 36A of the Criminal Procedure Code, stressed that the offences pose a direct threat to national security, given the volatility of the North Rift region and the proliferation of small arms.
Magistrate Lucas Onyina is expected to rule tomorrow on whether the six officers will be held at Capitol Hill Police Station for the requested 14 days.
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