Missing Ruto office guard in Sh39b fake arms probe found dead

By Cyrus Ombati | 4yrs ago | 3 min read

**Police officers at the compound where Kenei was found dead in Imara Daima Estate, Nairobi [Photo: Courtesy]**

A police officer who was on duty when former Sports Cabinet Secretary Rashid Echesa and two foreigners are said to have visited the Deputy President’s office last week has been found dead.

Sergeant Kipyegon Kenei, 33, of Administration Police’s Security of Government Buildings went missing since Wednesday when he was supposed to accompany his colleagues to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) to record a statement in the Sh39.5 billion fake arms probe.

His body was found in his house in Villa Franca Estate, Imara Daima. Witnesses said he had a bullet wound in the head and his gun was found lying next to his body. The body was discovered at about 4pm by locals who called police.

Witnesses said there was a bullet hole in the roof of the house. Police who arrived at the scene at first described the incident as suicide and removed the body to the mortuary. They, however, returned it to the scene after learning that he was a person of interest in the fake arms probe.

Following the incident, the DCI boss, George Kinoti, who was on his way from Mombasa yesterday, diverted to the scene and summoned officers from the homicide department to take charge.

A house girl who has been washing the officer’s clothes told police that she became concerned when she did not find his clothes outside the house for cleaning.

The search for Kenei

Kenei’s colleagues had been looking for him since Wednesday when it was decided that he was among those who were supposed to be questioned.

Kenei and five other AP officers were on duty at Gate A, the main entrance to Harambee House Annex and second floor of the building, when Echesa and two persons arrived on February 13.

He was in charge of the security team that was on duty that day. His five colleagues and a receptionist were on Wednesday questioned by detectives over Echesa’s visit. They told police they were acting on instructions on who should be allowed into the executive office.

When Kenei failed to show up at work yesterday, his colleagues said his mobile phone was not going through. Police authorities were planning to release a desertion signal on him when they got news of the discovery of his body.

Witnesses said Kenei lived in the servant quarters and the door to his house was open when the body was discovered.

The office of the Deputy President had earlier on raised concerns over failure by Kenei to show up at work or record his statement.

The matter of the former CS and the foreign arms dealers gaining access to Harambee House Annex saw Dr William Ruto earlier this week write to the Inspector General of Police citing a breach of security at his office.

The DP also demanded that the two arms dealers who have complained of being conned in the fake arms deal be barred from leaving the country until investigations are complete.

He said the matter was of grave concern to his security and other users of Harambee House Annex.

“This incident is a very serious breach of the security of the Deputy President and requires a thorough forensic investigation to establish among others, how Mr Echesa in the company of others including foreigners accessed the DP’s office,” the letter signed by the DP’s Chief of Staff Ken Osinde read.

The move came five days after police arrested Echesa and three other suspects and charged them with 12 counts ranging from forgery, obtaining money by false pretence and impersonating senior government officials.

The four have denied the charges.

Yesterday, police raided the offices of a company said to have received Sh11.5 million from the foreigners as consultancy fee. The offices are located on Mombasa Road.

Two officials of the company were arrested.