Some of the weapons recovered from the home of businessman Jimi Wanjigi are not permitted for use by civilians.
During the operation in 2017 overseen by a multiagency team led by the then DCI boss Ndegwa Muhoro, the police carted away four Glock pistols, one Smith & Wesson pistol, a Mini Archer assault rifle fitted with a laser, an M4CQ assault rifle and 688 bullets.
They allegedly found the weapons in Wanjigi’s kitchen ceiling, which allegedly was not a safe place to store them.
Police raided his home in Muthaiga, Nairobi, after guns and bullets were seized at a house in Malindi alleged to be his. During the siege, the officers sought to arrest him over the discovery and seizure of seven rifles and 93 bullets in a villa in Malindi.
They had arrived at his home accompanied by crime busters with sledgehammers planning to break into the house.
Some of the weapons held by Wanjigi are high-precision military firearms that civilians are prohibited from having under the Firearms Act Cap 114 Laws of Kenya.
Police say two of the guns – the Mini Archer and the .223 CQ – that Wanjigi wanted returned are prohibited in Kenya.
The Smith & Wesson pistol is a self-defence semi-automatic handgun while the Mini Archer assault rifle is a Polish-made automatic gun.
Standard equipment shipped with the rifle include three spare magazines, four 15-round stripper clips, a stripper clip guide, bayonet, cleaning kit, lubricant bottle, cleaning rod (two-piece, stored in the cleaning kit pouch), sling, a magazine pouch and bipod.
The rifle can also be fitted with a mounting system for optical sights and a blank firing adaptor.
The 457mm-long barrel has six right-hand grooves and a 228 mm (1:9in) twist rate.
The barrel’s external profile has a visible tapered contour with a decreasing diameter towards the muzzle end, used to mount a flash suppressor.
The .223 CQ is popular for hunting and self-defence. The Type CQ is an unlicensed Chinese variant of the M16 rifle manufactured by Norinco.
According to the Norinco website, the rifle is officially known as CQ 5.56.
It can be distinguished from other AR-15 and M-16 pattern rifles by its long, revolver-like pistol grip, somewhat rounded hand guards, and the unique shape of its stock.
Glock 19 is a lower version of the Glock, mostly used by officers in law enforcement.
It is a brand of polymer-framed, short recoil operated semi-automatic pistol designed and produced by Austrian manufacturer Glock Ge.m.b.H
Glocks are also popular firearms among civilians for recreational and competition shooting, home- and self-defence.
Wanjigi says he has all the needed licences to own the weapons.
DCI George Kinoti has been jailed for four months in a stand-off with Wanjigi.
The businessman had accused the DCI boss of failing to give him back his guns despite court orders.
The order directed Kinoti to release Wanjigi’s firearms that were seized from his home in 2017.
Justice Anthony Mrima said Kinoti shall within seven days surrender himself to the officer in charge of Kamiti Maximum Prison to serve the sentence.
The seven days lapsed on November 26. “In the event Kinoti fails to avail himself as ordered, a warrant of arrest will be issued against him. The warrant shall be executed by the Inspector General of Police,” the judge said.
If IG Hilary Mutyambai fails to execute the warrant, the same shall remain valid and be executed at any time, including when Kinoti leaves the office of the DCI.
The drama started on October 16, 2017 when police raided Wanjigi’s house in Muthaiga. Kinoti was not the DCI then.
This was 10 days before the repeat presidential election and Wanjigi claims the raid was political.
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