Stolen KDF goods recovered from a house in Lanet, Nakuru
A Military police officer records items that were found in a house owned by a civilian in Lanet estate in Nakuru on July 23, 2015. The goods are believed to have been stolen from KDF barracks. The suspect was arrested as police launched investigations. PHOTO | SULEIMAN MBATIAH | NATION MEDIA GROUP
What you need to know:
- DCIO James Lelia said the raid was linked to another in which a police officer was arrested last week.
- The suspect said his neighbour who works at the Lanet Barracks approached him four months ago requesting him to store the goods for him.
- The DCIO said the suspect would be charged in court with illegal possession of government property.
Police in Nakuru have arrested a man and recovered goods belonging to the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF).
The man who claimed to be a farmer was found in possession of beds, mattresses, KDF uniforms, KDF workshop machines, sleeping bags, furniture, a gas cylinder and five litres of oil used for cleaning rifles and pistols stored in his house located in Lanet.
Divisional Criminal Investigations Officer James Lelia said the raid was linked to another in which a police officer was arrested last week in connection to a goods-on-transit theft along the Nakuru-Eldoret highway.
“We carried out a raid in the house in pursuit of the goods stolen during last week’s highway robbery incident but contrary to our expectations, we found the goods belonging to the Kenya Defence Forces,” said the DCIO.
BELONG TO CLOSE KDF FRIEND
When interviewed, the suspect said he had been storing the goods for a close friend, a KDF soldier, and an immediate neighbour who claimed he did not have enough space in his house.
He said his neighbour who works at the Lanet Barracks approached him four months ago requesting him to store the goods for him while he was travelling to Nairobi on duty.
“We have been neighbours for three years now and when he requested me to store the goods for him when he was travelling to Nairobi I did not see anything wrong with that,” he said.
During the last week’s incident, a police officer reportedly waved down the truck transporting computers, mobile phones and assorted garments all valued at Sh69 million after which his accomplices forced its three occupants to alight and board a waiting saloon car at gunpoint.
The DCIO said the suspect would be charged in court with illegal possession of government property while an investigation is launched on the soldier.
“Investigations will be carried out to determine how the goods found their way out of the camp,” said the DCIO.
