A Kenya Defence Forces soldier was shot dead in the early hours of Sunday, November 1, in Kahawa Sukari, Ruiru. Police say he opened fire on a patrol team. His companion was arrested, and detectives are now trying to trace the owner of the pistol recovered at the scene.

Police identified the dead man as Antony Munene, about 33. He was carrying a KDF identity card. He was shot in the chest and right hand and died while being treated at Ruiru Level 4 Hospital.

How the confrontation unfolded

According to the police account, officers from Kahawa Sukari Police Station were on a routine patrol at about 1am. A member of the public told them that two armed men were threatening residents in the Covo area near Magunas.

The officers say they followed the two men and ordered them to surrender. Police say one of them pulled out a gun and fired at the officers, and the officers fired back.

Munene was hit in the exchange and taken to hospital in a serious condition. The second man was arrested at the scene. Neither the KDF nor the man's family had commented publicly by Sunday afternoon.

Questions over the gun

At the scene, officers found a Jericho pistol loaded with 12 rounds and two spent cartridges. The weapon is now central to the investigation.

Police say that during early questioning, the arrested man claimed the pistol belonged to his brother, whom he said was a police officer. Detectives are checking that claim. They want to establish who the gun is registered to, how it left its owner's control and how it ended up with the two men.

Senior officers visited the scene, documented it and collected exhibits. The surviving suspect is in custody while investigations continue. He has not been charged, and his claim has not been independently verified.

What happens next

The body has been moved to General Kago Mortuary in Thika for a post-mortem examination. Police say the shooting is under investigation to establish exactly what happened.

Because the death involved police officers firing their weapons, the case also falls within the mandate of the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA), which investigates deaths resulting from police action. IPOA had not announced whether it would open an inquiry by the time of publication.

The incident is the latest in a series of armed confrontations in the Kahawa and Ruiru area of Nairobi's northern suburbs. Residents have repeatedly complained about night-time robberies there. It also adds to concern over guns falling into the wrong hands. Each lost or misused service firearm leads to calls for stricter tracking of weapons issued to security officers.

Photos: U.S. Department of Defense via Wikimedia Commons (public domain); Kahawatungu. Thumbnail design: HAMASTA MEDIA.