Mystery of dead officer’s uniforms

• Detectives probe how robbers got hold of police handcuffs and kit

Senior police officers are in a tight spot after investigators revealed that police uniforms recovered from robbers belonged to an officer who was killed three yeas ago.

The investigation team from the Bungoma CID office in Western Kenya indicated that uniforms, handcuffs, a police hat, and a jungle jacket that were found in the possession of highway robbers in Misikhu in Bungoma East last weekend belonged to a policeman who was based at the Western provincial headquarters.

The supplies were reported to have been returned to the police stores after he was accorded a ceremonial burial by the force at Kabrasi in Kakamega North District three years ago.

Contacted for comment, acting Bungoma police boss George Kingi said investigations were going on to establish how the supplies that had been surrendered by the family of the policeman, who was stabbed by criminals three years ago, were not returned to the stores, as required by the Police Act.

Sources indicated that some rogue officers in the region were leasing out their firearms and uniforms to robbers.

Last weekend, police in Bungoma arrested two suspected highway robbers said to have been involved in a series of robberies in Western and Rift Valley provinces

Security agents arrested the suspects in Misikhu along the Kitale/Webuye road.

Police said the two had hijacked a lorry loaded with 140 bags of maize at Kiminini area in Trans Nzoia West District.

Sources claimed that the robbers have links with prominent businessmen in Bungoma, Kakamega, Kisumu, Busia, and Webuye towns, in whose stores they unloaded stolen goods.

The gangsters are said to enjoy the protection of influential businessmen and some senior police officers in Western, Nyanza and Rift Valley provinces.