KIAMBU, Kenya – Police have launched investigations into the theft of firearms and ammunition from Maguguni Patrol Base in Thika, Kiambu County, in an incident that has left security officers puzzled.
According to a police report, the incident was discovered early Tuesday morning by Corporal Simon Cheboi, who was on night duty at the report office.
At around 4 a.m., Cheboi reportedly heard dogs barking near the patrol base compound and the neighbouring A.I.P.C.A. Church, prompting him to patrol the area.
Upon returning, he noticed that one of the iron sheets covering the armoury had been removed.
On closer inspection, he found the padlock to the armoury door broken, and the steel box used to store weapons open — with several guns and rounds of ammunition missing.
The stolen weapons include an AK-47 rifle with two fully loaded magazines containing 60 rounds of 7.62mm ammunition, and a G3 rifle with one fully loaded magazine of 20 rounds, two empty magazines, and an additional 96 rounds of ammunition.
Senior officers, including the Thika East Sub-County Police Commander and the Sub-County Criminal Investigations Officer, visited the scene alongside Crime Scene Investigators from Thika West.
However, investigators say there were no signs of forced entry, and both padlocks on the armoury were found intact — raising suspicions that the theft could have involved someone with access to the facility.
“A search party was deployed in a bid to recover the stolen arms and ammunition. Preliminary investigations revealed there was no breaking, and the two armoury padlocks were intact and not broken,” the police report states.
Corporal Cheboi has since been detained to assist detectives with ongoing investigations.
