A police officer arrested in Nairobi with more than 1,000 rounds of ammunition will remain in custody until Monday, September 27, 2026 after a Nairobi court allowed him time to secure legal representation.
Senior Principal Magistrate Geoffrey Onsarigo ruled that Corporal Isaac Kipngetich, an armourer attached to Turkana County Police Headquarters, could not be denied his right to counsel.
He directed that the officer be held at Capitol Hill Police Station before the matter is mentioned before Senior Principal Magistrate Benmark Ikhubi.
“The suspect has requested his counsel to represent him. That is one of the rights that this court cannot take away,” said Onsarigo
“I will allow the respondent’s application to have his lawyer represent him. He will be detained at capital hill police station until Monday 27th of September and the matter will be handled by senior principal magistrate Benmark Ikhubi.”
According to an application filed by the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) Operations Support Unit, Kipngetich was arrested on September 25 at the Kenyatta Avenue roundabout along Uhuru Highway while driving a Toyota Passo.
They said they recovered a sealed carton hidden in a black backpack containing 1,007 rounds of 5.56mm calibre ammunition.
Investigating officer Corporal Hillary Kimuyu told the court that Kipngetich, who was on annual leave between September 23 and November 11, 2025, had no authority to be in possession of the ammunition.
Police believe the bullets were destined for use in crimes including banditry, murder, and livestock raids in Turkana and neighbouring counties.
The DCI argued that the officer is part of a wider syndicate supplying illegal arms to conflict-prone regions and sought custodial orders to detain him for 14 days to complete investigations.
“The suppliers and buyers of the ammunitions are still at large and there is need to hold the suspects.conduct further investigations and make more arrest,” read the court documents.
The investigators said they need time to subject the ammunition to ballistic tests, conduct forensic analysis on the suspect’s phone, record statements from witnesses, and pursue other suspects linked to the case.
“The matter is of national interest and through preliminary investigations, the respondent is part of the bigger syndicate leading to the deterioration of security in the North Rift and his release will interfere with the ongoing operation/investigations,” said Kimuyu.
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