Police are puzzled by the discovery of 478 live bullets from an alley of an apartment in Kasarani area, Nairobi.
They suspect some of the bullets were for training purposes and sale to criminals but they don’t know the source and owner
The assorted bullets were discovered by the caretaker of an apartment in Lucky Summer on Monday at mid-afternoon.
He told police he was cleaning the backyard of the apartment when he spotted a sack covered by trash.
When he tried to move it, he realised it was very heavy. He opened it, found he ammunition and called police.
Police said the bullets included 18 rounds for a .38 special, seven rounds of 9mm tracers, 414 rounds of 7.62mm blanks and an expended round of 7.62 blanks.
The others were nine live rounds for a 7.62mm special and 30 rounds of live 9mm bullets.
Starehe subcounty police commander Alice Kimeli said they are investigating.
“We are talking to all tenants of the apartment and others to know the ownership and motive. Some of these bullets are dangerous,” she said.
Parts of Nairobi have been experiencing spikes in crime involving guns and bullets.
Some bullets are smuggled through porous border points and end up in urban areas where criminals buy them.
Between 550,000 and 680,000 small arms and light weapons are estimated to be in the wrong hands in the country, police said.
In March, three men were arrested after a four-hour chase in Lagdera, Garissa county. Police found eight AK-47 rifles, 2,104 bullets and 20 litres of fuel.
In February, two people were arrested and an AK-47 rifle with 128 bullets and two hand grenades were recovered in Isiolo.
The area is considered a hotbed of radicalism and terrorism. Police are deployed in large numbers.
(Edited by V. Graham)