Gun, grenades, sniper ghillie suit seized as fake 'KDF commando' evading alcoblow arrested in Nairobi

Koffi Bill Atinda alias Don, Kennedy Otieno Omwanda and Kennedy Otieno Odhiambo were nabbed separately following coordinated operations by detectives who uncovered the crime ring.

The Directorate of Criminal Investigations, in a statement issued on Friday, revealed that the first suspect Don, was apprehended on Wednesday during the routine Alcoblow checks at a roadblock near Museum Hill.

Don is said to have refused to roll down his car windows like other motorists and bullishly stepped out of his car claiming to be a Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) captain leading to a scuffle between him and the officers on duty.

"The furious suspect had instead stepped out of the car and identified himself as a KDF captain, pointing at a KDF sticker displayed on the windscreen of his black Toyota Prado TX Reg No.KDL 100G," stated the DCI.

"Unable to formally identify himself with the requisite certificate of appointment nor convince the officers why he should not be given the same treatment as all the other motorists, the suspect sought the intervention of a serving military captain but who distanced himself from the suspect when things heated up."

The suspect failed to authenticate his military details leading to the officers contacting the Department of Defense (DoD) which disputed Don's claims. He was arrested and arraigned at Milimani Law Courts on Thursday on traffic offence charges.

Following his release, the DCI says that anti-robbery police ambushed Don at Nairobi Area Traffic HQs where he had gone to collect his detained vehicle in the company of his alleged driver, Omwanda, and an interrogation which resulted in money laundering investigations was launched.

The detectives further instituted a search into Don's car where 15 fake USD notes in 100 denominations, a police pocket phone, a siren fitted in the vehicle, expired Ugandan car insurance, 7 sim card holders, and two stamps from different companies among other assorted items were recovered.

The search led to Don's home located along Hilltop Road in Ngong where military camouflage jungle fatigues and more company documents were seized and more evidence was also found across his social media posts.

"Several of his social media posts were also found to contain photos of him holding firearms that are yet to be recovered," DCI noted.

At the same time, the DCI says Omwanda was interrogated leading to the revelation of the third suspect, Odhiambo, whose residence located at Jimly Apartment in Jamhuri  Estate was also raided and assault weapons namely three hand grenades, a Sauer P229 pistol, 12 rounds of ammunition were recovered.

The DCI notes that a firearm certificate was found but has yet to be authenticated.

Odhiambo alleged that he had received the grenades from a Kenya Prisons officer based at the Ruiru Prison Headquarters "for safe custody".

Detectives have since launched investigations into the suspected syndicate and also to establish whether the mentioned person is indeed an officer working with the Kenya Prison Service.