Kitale: Suspect arrested over stolen police rifle

A 22-year-old man has been arrested in Kitale, Trans Nzoia County, after police recovered a stolen firearm and ammunition from him in a dramatic incident.

Police said officers from Sibanga Police Station in Trans Nzoia East Sub-county recovered a Styer rifle loaded with 25 rounds of 9mm ammunition from the suspect identified as Brian Kibet.

According to police, the firearm was stolen from a police officer at Kitale Police Station on May 20, 2026. The suspect was taken into custody as investigations into the theft and possible links to other criminal activities continue.

This happened almost 12 hours after the incident, police said.

Police had launched investigations and a manhunt after the suspect allegedly tricked officers at Kitale Police Station and escaped with the loaded firearm.

According to police, the incident occurred on the night of May 20, 2025, at around 9.30pm at Kitale Police Station.

The suspect, earlier described as an unknown man dressed in a police raincoat, reportedly arrived at the station’s main gate and introduced himself as a newly posted officer from Eldoret Police Station.

Kibet allegedly approached three officers manning the gate, among them a corporal who was the officer in charge at the time.

He is said to have told the officers that he was looking for accommodation within the police lines.

After a brief interaction, he allegedly asked one of the officers to direct him to a nearby hotel where he could buy food.

As they walked towards the hotel, the suspect allegedly requested the officer to help carry his Styer rifle loaded with 25 rounds of 9mm ammunition.

Police said that immediately after the officer took possession of the firearm, the suspect boarded a waiting motorcycle and sped off towards Kitale town, escaping with the weapon.

The officer did not immediately raise an alarm or inform his superior after the incident, only making contact later after efforts to trace the suspect had failed.

Following the incident, police activated a team to search for the firearm and pursue the suspect, which led to his arrest and recovery of the weapon.

Three officers who were on duty at the station gate during the incident were subsequently placed in custody pending investigations. The incident raised concerns over security procedures at police stations and the handling of firearms by officers on duty.

Police said they were reviewing several operational lapses that led to the incident for further action.