Two Muungano Police Station officers have been arrested after losing their firearm in a gold scam at the Sarova Panafric Hotel in Nairobi.
The officers, Samuel Nganga and William Karema Macharia, were allegedly posing as potential buyers of gold from a dealer identified as Steve Kimani.
According to the digital Occurrence Book (OB) at Nairobi County DCI Headquarters, the officers were issued Ceska pistols on March 17, 2023, allegedly to arrest a gold dealer about whom they had received information.
The officers pretended to be potential buyers and arranged to meet the dealer at the hotel.
When they arrived at the hotel, they sat down with the dealer.
They had a lengthy discussion and then drank. The dealer eventually pulled Macharia aside for further discussion, leaving Nganga alone.
Nganga became suspicious when the dealer took longer than expected and went to check on his colleague.
When he arrived at the place where Macharia had gone with the dealer, he realised that the dealer had vanished and Macharia had lost his firearm. Officers searched the hotel, but the dealer had already fled through a back door.
The two officers then sought assistance from the hotel’s security staff, but they were unable to locate the dealer.
On the afternoon of March 21, 2023, the hotel security staff noticed the two officers returning to the hotel and immediately notified the DCI Nairobi County Headquarters. Nganga reported that his firearm was in his Muungano residence.
Officers were dispatched to arrest the two officers, who were later taken into custody at the Mlolongo police station.
