This archive report was first published on 13 January 2020.
Thika, Kenya - In a bizarre incident, a firearm stolen during the burial of Charles Rubia, one of the country's second liberation heroes, was recovered at a Thika supermarket on December 30, 2019.
The gun, a Glock hand pistol, was stolen from a car parked outside Karigu-ini Primary School in Murang'a after the burial ceremony.
According to police, the car's owner had been allowed access to the VIP parking lot but due to his late arrival, his vehicle was locked out of the slot, forcing him to park by the roadside.
Unknown to him, the gun had been ferried to Thika and abandoned at Naivas supermarket luggage section the same day.
The supermarket's manager, Mr. Daniel Mukuha, explained that the bag failed to raise any suspicion because customers often forget their belongings at the luggage section and return for them after a day or two.
However, on Thursday, the supermarket's luggage attendant decided to check the contents of the backpack, discovering the firearm inside and informing the police.
Thika West Sub-County Police Commander Beatrice Kiraguri confirmed that a manhunt for the two women caught on CCTV cameras handing over the backpack to a luggage attendant had been launched.
The weapon is now in the hands of ballistics experts at the DCI headquarters and will be used as an exhibit in the case against the two women.
