Police arrest KDF soldiers with illegal weapons

Two army soldiers were arrested on Thursday while illegally transporting ammunition from Nairobi to Isiolo.

The Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) men were apprehended by police officers in Nanyuki town after a tip-off.

Laikipia East OCPD Kizito Mutoro said the two were found with 750 special rounds of ammunition used in AK-47 rifles.

“We got information that the soldiers were boarding a Probox car to Isiolo and upon searching we found a heavy container with the weapons. We first suspected the container had explosives,” said Mr Mutoro.

The police boss noted that the soldiers, of the rank of senior private, were taken to Nanyuki Police Station and later handed over to military police.

 “We convened a meeting involving the military police and concluded that the KDF should take over the matter,” said the police boss.

Rounds of ammunition used in AK-47 rifles. [Courtesy]

During the meeting, it was resolved that military police, accompanied by the OCPD, search the suspects' houses. The two would be handed over to the anti-terror unit if found to have links with Al Shabaab or Al Qaeda terror groups, sources said.

The incident came barely two weeks after two men were arrested and handed over to Anti-Terrorism Police Unit (ATPU) because they were suspected of having links with Al Shabaab.

One man was arrested in Nanyuki town after he allegedly conducted a religious crusade with the intention of radicalising residents.

The other one was arrested in Majengo slums in Nanyuki town, allegedly being recruited into Al Shabaab.

“Terrorism has become a global and household issue and Nanyuki is of interest because it is a metropolitan town along the highway… We are vulnerable to terrorism but we are alert. We urge the public to report any suspicious strangers,” said Mutoro.