Man with detonators shot dead

A butcher was on Saturday shot dead by police whom they suspected of arms smuggling. They recovered 300 explosive detonators near a church compound in Ongata Rongai.

The man was suspected to have been on a mission to hand over a basketful of the India-made aluminium, instantaneous electric detonators to another suspect when detectives from the Special Crime Prevention Unit, acting on a tip-off, intercepted him.

The detonators were packed in 12 bundles, each containing 25 pieces held together by a rubber band.

Accosted suspect

Ongata Rongai police boss Simon Kiragu said the detectives accosted the suspect, who reportedly runs a butchery in the township, behind a supermarket a few minutes after 11 a.m.

He attempted to run away when approached by the officers and they shot him dead after he defied their orders.

A female suspect, who is believed to be the would-be recipient, reportedly escaped as a crowd gathered near the scene.

“We are looking for her because she is known,” the OCPD said.

An eyewitnesses told the Sunday Nation the slain suspect was wearing gumboots and carrying a basket and could not run fast.

He said the butcher had walked to an open field near Mt Zion church and, realising that he could not escape without being shot by the officers following him, lay down in the field.

He was then shot several times while lying down and witnesses said he may have died on the spot.

Another man was also shot in the ensuing chaos.

His fate was yet to be known by the time of going to press but eyewitnesses said he was hurriedly bundled into a waiting blue vehicle by the police who proceeded to cover both the front and rear number plates of the car with newspapers.

Excavate rocks

The recovered detonators, which are also used to excavate rocks in quarries, can be used to make bombs or improvised explosive devices (IEDs).

But their procurement, use and storage is strictly controlled by the government and dealers require a licence.

Police found documents and contact addresses of Bambi Transporters, a company based in Wajir.

But when the Sunday Nation called the operations manager he said he lost the documents while on a business trip in Nairobi.

The slain man was a well known butchery operator, who also supplied meat to other butchers in the township.

A relative of his is allegedly in prison for possessing explosives.

Last year, police arrested a soldier along Thika Road transporting a large number of similar detonators on a bus headed for Garissa.