• Former soldier, described by neighbours as a loner, sometimes seen in military attire leaving or coming home at night
• Army officers in Embakasi say he was discharged from the military a year ago
Image: COURTESY
Police officers in Makueni are holding an ex-military officer found with military uniforms.
Festus Kioko,38, was arrested at his house in Shimo Estate in Wote town on Sunday by police from Makueni police station led by OCS Francis Gichuhi.
Makueni subcounty police commander Timothy Maina said Kioko was found with 17 military uniforms and an identification card.
"When police officers raided the house, they found him sleeping. Items belonging to the military were collected from the house including a military identification card," Maina told the Star in an interview.
When questioned, Kioko told police he worked with the military band initially before he was moved to the military intelligence unit.
However, police say after consulting military officers in Embakasi, they established that Kioko was discharged from a year ago but had not returned the items.
"Reasons for keeping the items is suspicious as they could be used to commit a crime," Maina said.
His neighbours described him as a loner.
"He sometimes leaves the house or comes very late at night, and sometimes he is in military uniform," one of them said in confidence.
His landlady Regina Nthenya said the house he was living in was booked a year ago by a woman believed to be his wife.
"She told me she is a teacher at Kyumu when she was booking the house. It was, however, occupied by Kioko whom I assumed was her husband," she told the Star.
Nthenya, who lives in the compound with her tenants, said she is in the dark after Kioko's arrest saying she has never seen him behave suspiciously.
Before police raided Kioko's house, Nthenya said Makueni OCS Francis Gichui approached her and requested for his number, which she gave out.
The landlady, however, declined his request to wake him up.
She said she saw armed police officers walk in the compound and wake Kioko.
The officers walked into his house and removed a big bag and escorted Kioko with it to the police station.
At the time, Nthenya said, two police officers were placed strategically at the back entrance, raising curiosity in the 3pm raid.
"I am yet to know why they arrested him because I can't question the police. I am getting the information that he is an ex-military officer from members of the public," Nthenya said.
(Edited by R.Wamochie)