Panic as Homa Bay Town MP Peter Kaluma’s gun goes off at airport
Homa Bay Town MP Peter Kaluma during a press conference on September 9, 2014. The proposed law by the MP would have given equal responsibility and right of access to children born out of wedlock. PHOTO | DIANA NGILA |
What you need to know:
- Police confiscated Kaluma's Ceska pistol loaded with 14 rounds of ammunition, but allowed him to go on with his journey.
- The weapon went off after Mr Kaluma had been taken to the safety room at the Domestic Departures unit where he was to hand over his firearm.
Police have confiscated a gun belonging to an MP after it discharged at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, causing a security scare.
Homa Bay Town MP Peter Kaluma was to board a Kenya Airways plane to Mombasa when the incident happened on Sunday afternoon.
AIRLINE SEARCH
Police confiscated his Ceska pistol loaded with 14 rounds of ammunition, but allowed him to go on with his journey.
The Kenya Airports Police Unit commandant Joseph ole Tito said no one was injured, and no damage was caused during the incident that took place inside the terminal building.
The weapon went off after Mr Kaluma had been taken to the safety room at the Domestic Departures unit where he was to hand over his firearm to an employee of the airline, Mr Erick Omulo.
Airports security staff from both the Kenya Airports Authority and airport police rushed to the scene.
Initial investigations revealed that the incident might have been due to an error by the MP.
PROBE STARTS
Mr Tito said although preliminary investigations had shown that the MP could not have intentionally discharged his weapon, police were yet to establish if it was as a result of negligence or carelessness.
“He must have left a round of ammunition in the chamber. Fortunately the gun was pointing at a safe direction,” said the police boss.
Since such discharges can also occur if the firearm is mechanically unsound, detectives are also investigating if that might be the case.
