NAIROBI, Kenya, Aug 10 — Two men have been sentenced to seven years in prison each after they were convicted over the robbery of a police officer’s AK-47 rifle and 30 rounds of ammunition during a night raid at Bonje Industrial Park in Jomvu, Mombasa County.
The conviction brings to a close a case in which investigators traced crucial leads from a stolen mobile phone before recovering the firearm and ammunition from one of the suspects hiding in the ceiling of a house.
The Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) said Principal Prosecution Counsel Godfrey Ngigi presented evidence linking Pius Oketch and Kellas Wanyonyi to the robbery.
“Senior Resident Magistrate Hon. Hamlick Muriithi Mwenda found the prosecution had proved its case beyond reasonable doubt,” ODPP said Monday.
The court heard that during the night of June 13, 2026, a gang attacked Police Constable James Kobia, who was guarding the industrial park alongside private security guards.
The attackers overpowered the officer and stole his AK-47 rifle, which was loaded with 30 rounds of ammunition.
One of the private security guards was also robbed of a mobile phone.
Investigators subsequently followed leads generated from the stolen phone after one of the calls made to it was answered, providing information that helped detectives establish a network of individuals allegedly connected to the robbery.
Evidence presented in court showed that Wanyonyi had recruited several casual labourers on the pretext that they had secured night work loading goods at the industrial park.
The group reportedly proceeded to the premises shortly before the robbery.
Three days after the incident, police arrested Wanyonyi, who subsequently led officers to Oketch’s residence at Narcol Estate.
When officers searched the residence, they found Oketch hiding in the ceiling.
Investigators recovered the stolen AK-47, its magazine and all 30 rounds of ammunition, which had been concealed in a sack.
Oketch was charged with conspiracy to commit a felony, possession of a firearm and ammunition without a firearm certificate and possession of government stores.
Although the court imposed different sentences ranging from two to seven years for the offences, the terms were ordered to run concurrently, leaving him with an effective seven-year custodial sentence.
Wanyonyi was also sentenced to seven years in prison for conspiracy to commit a felony.
The accused persons had denied the allegations and claimed they had been framed by police officers.
The magistrate rejected the claims, finding no evidence of personal grudges or fabrication of evidence by the investigating officers.
The court relied on the evidence of 17 prosecution witnesses in finding the two men guilty.
Both convicts were informed of their right to appeal against their convictions and sentences within 14 days.
