By Tobby Kalume | July 17, 2026
Court of Appeal Judge Justice Aggrey Muchelule has recorded a statement with the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) after his licensed Beretta pistol was recovered from a robbery suspect who was fatally shot during a police operation.
The firearm was recovered on Monday, July 13, 2026, when DCI detectives tracked and confronted alleged armed robber Vincent Ochieng at a residential hideout in Joska along the Nairobi–Kangundo Road. Ochieng was killed during an exchange of gunfire, and officers recovered a loaded Beretta pistol from the scene.
Following forensic examination, investigators matched the firearm’s serial number to Justice Muchelule, prompting detectives to contact the judge on July 14.
According to police, the judge inspected a locked safe at his residence in New Kitisuru and discovered that the firearm was missing. He told investigators that he had last handled the pistol in October 2025 and was unaware that it had disappeared.
Justice Muchelule subsequently filed a formal report at Spring Valley Police Station, paving the way for a comprehensive investigation into how the weapon was removed from the secure safe without his knowledge.
As part of the inquiry, detectives have also recorded statements from five other individuals, including family members and domestic workers at the judge’s residence, as they seek to establish the circumstances under which the firearm went missing.
Investigators believe the pistol may have been used in several violent crimes committed in recent months. Ballistic and forensic analysis has linked the weapon to the July 4 robbery at Chaiiwala Café along General Mathenge Road in Nairobi’s Westlands area, where armed assailants reportedly terrorized customers.
Police are also examining whether the same firearm was used in other criminal incidents reported in Nairobi, Kiambu and Kilifi counties.
During his statement, Justice Muchelule acknowledged that his firearm certificate had expired on October 1, 2025, explaining that he had failed to complete the required renewal process.
The DCI has continued investigations to determine how the firearm ended up in the hands of suspected criminals and whether additional individuals were involved in its disappearance. Detectives are also pursuing accomplices believed to have been working with the slain suspect in a series of armed robberies.
