Detectives from the Special Crime Preventions Unit on Friday searched for Migori governor Okoth Obado’s gun licence at his Nairobi home.
The operation lasted about two hours — mission unsuccessful.
Obado in his statements to the police says he is a licensed firearm holder. He said the certificate was in his Lavington residence. A family member accompanied the officers during the search.
Police want the licence scrutinised by the Firearm Licensing Board as part of their investigations into “three illegal guns” they recovered from his Migori home.
“We’ll spread the search to his rural home where he claims to be keeping the licence,” a senior officer privy to the investigations said.
Efforts to get Special Crimes Prevention Unit boss Pius Gitari’s comment were unsuccessful. He did not return calls.
The Migori county chief was arrested on Wednesday in Nairobi and detained in connection with the guns. They were found by EACC investigators who raided his Nairobi and Migori homes in search of documents relating to an alleged Sh2.5 billion procurement scandal.
Read:
On Friday, Obado was granted Sh500,000 bond or Sh200,000 bail as the court dismissed police request to have him detained for 15 more days to allow further probe.
In his statements to the DCI, he said he knew nothing about the alleged guns. Obado said some of his security guards used a safe in his house to keep their weapons.
He has five AP officers guarding his Nairobi and Migori homes.
Obado was nabbed at Hilton Hotel’s basement, where he is reported to have taken cover after he was tipped of police presence. A taxi, which police claimed he was to escape in, had entered the basement when they pounced on the embattled governor.
Detectives from the Special Crimes Prevention Unit whisked Obado to the old Nairobi Area offices before transferring him to the DCI headquarters off Kiambu Road.
The old Nairobi Area is the headquarters of the DCI Special Crimes Prevention Unit. Sources familiar with the operation said the arrest was sanctioned by DCI chief George Kinoti, who met with top cops from the unit hours earlier.
There have been reports in sections of the media that eight guns were recovered from the homes.
The arrest came weeks after the governor left remand following his arrest on September 21 in connection with the murder of university student Sharon Otieno and her unborn son. The two were lovers.
Obado pleaded not guilty to murder charges. He was conditionally released on Sh5 million bond and two sureties of similar amount.
The court set out strict bond terms, including barring him from going to Homa Bay — Sharon’s home county.
The nearest he can be to Homa Bay is 20km.
The county chief has moved out of his palatial home in Rapogi, Migori county, as a way of complying with the directive. The rural residence falls within the 20km strip.
Read:
More: