Police in Kisumu East are detaining a quartet of suspects who made away with a security officer's gun in Bondo, Siaya County, on Sunday, October 19.
The General Service Unit (GSU) officer was providing security to Kakamega governor Fernandes Barasa at the Jaramogi Oginga Odinga University of Science and Technology (JOOUST) grounds when he lost the firearm, a Jericho pistol.
Barasa was among the luminaries attending the funeral service of the late Raila Odinga at JOOUST.
A week later, the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) announced rounding up the suspects who took the pistol from the officer.
The detectives' discovery followed an operation enhanced by a tip-off from the members of the public.
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The quartet who allegedly robbed the GSU officer of his gun have been identified as: Timothy Odhiambo, David Beckham Odhiambo, Tony Blair Omondi, and Harun Ibrahim.
They are currently detained at Kasagam Police Station in Kisumu.
According to the police, the suspects carried out the theft just at the tail end of Raila's final funeral service at the JOOUST grounds.
At the time, the victim officers and his colleagues were escorting Governor Barasa through the university’s main gate when a crowd of unruly youths swarmed the governor’s convoy.
Amid the commotion, the officer’s Jericho pistol, loaded with 15 rounds of 9mm ammunition, was forcefully taken from its holster.
“When they were leaving the funeral ceremony of the late Rt. Hon. Raila Amolo Odinga at Jaramogi Oginga Odinga University of Science and Technology (JOOUST) at the main gate, while boarding the Governor’s official vehicle Reg. No. 37CG 086A, rowdy youth who had gathered around the Governor snatched his firearm make Jericho, serial number 40309458, loaded with 15 rounds of 9mm from its holster and ran away from the scene,” a police report indicated.
Despite attempts by the officers to retrieve the weapon, the dense crowd made recovery efforts unsuccessful.
Investigators attached to the DCI Bondo immediately swung into action.
The operations were enhanced by a tip-off from the members of the public who aided the police in tracing the suspects.
They were traced to a house in Manyatta “B” slums of the Mbeme Area. They now await arraignment.
