Four suspects arrested, pistol stolen during Raila burial recovered in Kisumu

Detectives from Kasagam police station raided the hideout after receiving a tip-off from members of the public and managed to recover the firearm

Four suspects were on Saturday arrested in Kisumu and a pistol believed to have been stolen from a police officer during the burial of former Prime Minister Raila Odinga in Bondo, Siaya county, recovered from them.

Police said the suspects were apprehended at a hideout in the Mbeme area following intelligence reports that they were armed and in the vicinity.

Detectives from Kasagam police station raided the hideout after receiving a tip-off from members of the public and managed to recover the firearm during the operation.

The suspects are being held for interrogation pending arraignment.

The loaded Jericho pistol had been snatched from a police constable attached to Kakamega Governor Fernandes Barasa’s security detail during the burial.

The officer, who is based at the General Service Unit Headquarters in Ruaraka and currently serves in VIP protection, reported that he was robbed of the weapon at about 4.30 pm.

He said he was with four other officers and was escorting the governor to his vehicle at the main gate of Jaramogi Oginga Odinga University of Science and Technology (JOOUST) when rowdy youths surrounded them.

As he boarded the governor’s vehicle, one of the youths snatched the pistol, loaded with 15 rounds, from its holster and fled.

Efforts to recover the firearm at the time were unsuccessful due to the large crowd.

Several other people also reported losing their belongings during the event, as some individuals posing as mourners engaged in theft.

Security personnel were later reinforced to control the massive crowds that had turned unruly.

Some people who were locked out of the main event at the university became chaotic in the town, robbing locals, while others forced their way into Opoda Farm, where the burial was taking place, disrupting proceedings for several minutes under the guise of observing cultural practices.

The military also deployed special forces to help manage the situation.