A carwash attendant has been arrested and a pistol stolen from a vehicle he was washing was recovered from him in a police operation in Nairobi.
The Ceska pistol was reported missing from a car at a carwash yard along Ralph Bunche Road on Tuesday, April 2 afternoon.
The owner of the pistol, a civilian firearm holder employed by the government, had left the weapon inside the vehicle while it underwent cleaning, stepping away momentarily for lunch. Upon returning, the owner discovered the pistol missing from its designated compartment, sparking immediate concern.
A search ensued, fruitless in its attempt to locate the missing firearm. Subsequently, law enforcement officers were summoned to the scene, where security camera footage revealed the unsettling truth: an attendant had clandestinely removed the pistol, concealing it beneath his overall attire.
The attendant exited the premises while still clad in the overall, a breach of the rules mandating their removal upon signing off duty, as highlighted by management.
The following day, as authorities intensified their search efforts, the suspect failed to report for work. However, he was apprehended along Loita Street in the Central Business District, allegedly intending to hand over the weapon to an accomplice. Investigations revealed that the suspect had already sold seven bullets from the pistol. Although the firearm initially contained 15 bullets, only eight remained upon its recovery.
Such incidents raise concerns among law enforcement officials, who emphasize the potential misuse of stolen weapons in criminal activities. Investigators are actively pursuing leads to identify any additional accomplices and ascertain the suspect’s criminal history, if any.
Authorities urge carwash owners to implement stringent vetting procedures for their staff as a preventive measure against such occurrences. Additionally, they advocate for the installation of comprehensive security camera systems to enhance surveillance and aid in the resolution of similar incidents.
Nairobi’s police boss, Adamson Bungei, underscores the importance of collaboration between law enforcement agencies and carwash owners in curbing such illicit activities.
“The yard owners also need to take measures to help tame the practice,”
