Police are investigating the ownership of a pistol that was found abandoned in the men’s toilet of a popular restaurant in Kilimani area, Nairobi.
A reveller believed to be a licensed gun holder had gone to the CJ’s Restaurant at Ola Petrol Station along Argwings Kodhek Road in Yaya Centre and forgot the weapon there on Sunday afternoon.
The reveller went to the toilet and placed the Steyr C9-A2 MF pistol with 16 bullets on the cistern and forgot it after his mission therein, police said.
According to police, the weapon was discovered minutes after the owner had left the toilet and restaurant.
Witnesses said the discovery caused panic before police arrived and picked it up.
A manager at the restaurant called the police who responded there and took it for safekeeping.
Nairobi police boss Adamson Bungei said they are tracing the owner for grilling and further action.
There were fears the weapon could have fallen into the wrong hands.
Safekeeping of such weapons is key in having a civilian issued with a permit to own a gun.
The rules say the weapons should be in the sight of the owner or a safe in the house all the time.
Civilian holders are usually vetted before they get permits to own the weapons.
There are about 15,000 civilian firearms holders. Some of the holders have had their permits cancelled because of misuse.
The law requires that there be annual renewal of the licenses held by civilian firearm holders.
The vetting board issues gun owners with new smart licenses and is currently working towards establishing a centralised electronic register of all private citizens holding firearms.
The government in December 2018 announced the vetting of civilian firearm holders following increased cases of fake certificates.
The vetting process involves psychiatric assessment by a government psychologist, criminal record checks and ballistic testing of the weapons and ammunition by the Directorate of Criminal Investigations.
