Ken Wycliffe Okello Lugwili is yet again in the limelight over illegal arms trade and rent arrears running into millions of shillings that has once again blew the lid off his past criminal dealings.
Lugwili alias ‘General DeFao’ is currently under probe for running firearm businesses without a license after police stumbled on a cache of arms in his armoury-cum-office.
Accompanied by Kilimani-based police officers, Hebros auctioneers gained entry into the premises at Applewood Park in Kilimani, Nairobi ready to issue a notification of sale of any worthy items in a bid to recover rent arrears amounting to Sh4,962,990.
However, once inside, a quick search revealed an armoury, stocked with an assortment of weapons of different caliber and hundreds of ammunition.
Detectives attached to the Directorate of Criminal Investigation (DCI) said they have since established that the man was a licensed firearm dealer but his license was suspended over three years ago.
The police recovered nine escort magnum short guns, one Benelli short gun, five Guatro short guns, one savage short gun, six Walter pistols, and a total of 565 ammunition of assorted different calibers.
They also found 25 pistol holsters, dozens of magazine carriers, 30 slings, ten sniper torches, and a certificate of registration as a firearm dealer.
The team also found a firearm movement register and assorted firearm manuals.
Not new to the controversy, Lugwili has in the past been linked to land fraud, murder, fake currency claims, and impersonation of a former President’s aide with the intent to defraud businesspeople of cash.
In 2011, he was linked to the death of former University of Nairobi student Mercy Keino.
However, he told the police that he was driving his Mercedes Benz on Waiyaki Way when he stumbled on the body of Keino that night.
He was also linked to a land fraud case on land belonging to Erwin Stillhard and Summinder Sonia Stillhard in 2019.
He was in May 2019 arrested with nine other suspects, among them seven foreigners, with fake $190 million in Nairobi’s Kilimani area.
In police statements he recorded after the arrest over the fake currency, he claimed to be a businessman who deals in used cars and also owned a security company.
His first major collision with authorities was 19 years ago when he was sentenced to nine years on September 9, 2003, for defrauding various businessmen while impersonating Alfred Gitonga, who was then an aide to former President Mwai Kibaki.
His sentence, however, translated to three years as the sentences were to run concurrently.
A month later, he was sentenced to two years in prison for trying to defraud former Kenya Pipeline managing director Ezekiel Komen of Sh20,000.
Police handling the arms case said they plan to ask the court to allow them to detain him for a longer time to allow them conduct further probe into his past activities.
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