Police probing a KDF officer, prison warden over 300 missing bullets

MANDERA—A court in Mandera has ordered police to complete an investigation into alleged stealing of 300 ammunition by a Kenya Defense Force (KDF) and a prison warder after the cache was found in the latter’ house while in a bucket buried underground.

The probe started after 150 bullets were found in Ahmed Mohamed’s bag, a KDF officer.
Mr Juma Lucas, Ahmed’s commander who oversee the 9KR-C unit that man the border between Kenya and Somalia, said in a sworn affidavit that the officer was caught in possession of the ammunition after a tip-off. He added that over 300 bullets were missing from the armoury.

“He (Ahmed Mohamed) confessed after interrogation at the KDF camp in Mandera that he sold the ammunition to a prison warder after we established that 150 more bullets were missing from records,” Commander Juma Lucas, said in a sworn affidavit.
“He led the KDF officers to Mandera GK Prison where prisons officer Abdinasir Alio, was arrested and led the team to where he kept the bag in a residential house outside the prison compound,” he added.

Ahmed Mohamed, a prison warden at Mandera GK prison. The 150 bullets were found at his house.

After the interrogation, the KDF went to Mandera GK prison on Friday evening to arrest prison officer Mohamed Alio who was mentioned as the custodian of the stolen ammunition and was handed over to the police.
The affidavit says it is unclear what they intended to use the ammunition for but it is suspected that they were meant for criminal activity.
Member of Mandera County assembly for Elwak South, Ali Kulane absolved any wrongdoing from his brother, saying he was framed to appear like criminal.
He said a military office on uniform drove to his brother’s compound and handed a bag to him only for him to return with soldiers claiming that there bullets in it.
“We want justice done because he is innocent,” he said.
Mandera County Commissioner Alex Nkoyo, while confirming the arrests and the recovered bullets, said the fight against terror was proving difficult as the problem was finding its way into the system.
“We are digging dipper because it indicates that as we focus on fighting terrorism from outside, we have a problem inside the system,” he said.
Mr Nkoyo said he suspect the bullets were destined for clan militias as clan tension builds up in parts of Mandera County.

“The two officers are from the Garre community and we have information that the ammunition was destined for clan militias as tension builds up in the Banisa and Rhamu areas, but we are very alert,” he said.
Nkoyo noted that government was similarly investigating the source of 7.62mm caliber for G3 rifles used in the attack that killed 14 quarry workers in Mandera three weeks ago.
Said he, “We are still trying to establish the source of the G3 cartridges because we know militia in Somalia have no G3s, or have very few stolen from 12 officers killed last year since we have never recovered their firearms.”