Mystery as Kenya police find illegal military arsenal

Kenya Police was Tuesday night trying to figure out what a huge cache of weapons seized by officers in Narok was intended for.

The arsenal described by Police Commissioner Mathew Iteere as the largest ever consignment of weapons found in civilian hands in Kenyan history, included 100,000 bullets and six guns. A large assortment of military supplies were also seized from a businessman’s house in Narok.

Thirty-five-year-old Narok businessman Munir Ishmael and his wife were taken into custody for questioning over the arms. The bullets were clearly marked as having been manufactured by the Kenya Ordinance Factory in Eldoret and the Ministry of Defence (British Army).

Most of the bullets recovered were meant for .38mm, .22mm, 306 mm and 7.62mm guns. Six firearms, including two pistols and four rifles, were also seized from the suspects’ house. Some of the rifles had telescopic sights, favoured by army snipers and assassins.

The .38mm and .22 mm bullets are commonly used in pistols, while 306 mm are shells for shotguns and the 7.62 mm bullets are suitable for automatic rifles like AK-47s and G-3s.

An unknown amount of money was also found as were military machetes, camelbay military backpacks, shooting range ear plugs, military sleeping bags, foldable camping beds, solar batteries, heavy duty vehicle batteries, 70 water containers, tyres, solar camp showers, Land Rover spare parts, target practising points, military boots, knives, lubricants, and Nato-approved military food rations.

Mr Iteere said the bullets were enough to serve a large city police station, such as Nairobi Area, for one year and eight months.

Such a huge amount of ammunition can only be found in a police armoury at the provincial headquarters of a particularly volatile area.

Investigators were following tips from public informers which suggested the bullets were either destined for a neighbouring country or some unexplained mission in the country.

The arsenal was discovered in a Monday night operation by the Special Crime Prevention Unit, with regular and Administration Police officers. Assistant Commissioner of Police Richard Katola led the mission.

The police commissioner said a three-week police investigation led to the discovery of the weapons.

“Police acting on a tip-off raided a residence in Narok and recovered 80,000 rounds of assorted ammunition, six firearms, and assorted weaponry This is an amazing cache. The first such recovery in the history of Kenya, thanks to the commendable job of cooperation between police and the public. This is an individual but we are trying to expose the syndicate,” he said.

The bullets were similar to those used by the Kenya Police, and Mr Iteere promised that investigators would soon establish their source and where they were being taken.

“The information we have is that some of the ammunition was destined for another country. But some of it looks like what is used by the security forces in Kenya,” he said.

The arsenal was displayed at the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) headquarters in Nairobi.

The police boss said officers were working hard to keep Kenyans safe. More officers had been deployed along the border with Somalia and within the country, he added.

So far, 130 rifles and more than 200 bullets have been recovered in Samburu, Isiolo and West Pokot in recent operations. On the Narok arsenal, investigators said they were acting on intelligence and were tracking down other suspects.

The discovery is likely to cause concern, coming as it does three months after a BBC investigative report which claimed that groups in the Rift Valley were buying guns in preparation for the 2012 election.

Police said Mr Ishmael claimed the weapons were all licensed.

Narok town residents expressed shock and disbelief at the sheer of amount of weapons in their community and said they knew Mr Ishmael as a humble businessman.

Insecurity

Some, angry at the insecurity that weapons can cause, tried to burn Mr Ishmael’s house and had to be dispersed.

They blocked the main Narok highway and demanded that Mr Ishamael be kicked out of the town.

Local police said they feared that weapons of this nature in the hands of criminals could created a crime problem for the small town.

Already, officers were drawing links between a recent spate of robberies and the arsenal found there.