The driver and turnboy were arrested after officers found ammunition concealed in meat during a multi-agency operation at Kanyonyoo, Kitui County.
Police have recovered 48 rounds of ammunition compatible with AK-47 rifles from pieces of meat aboard a passenger bus intercepted at Kanyonyoo in Kitui County, the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) said.
The bus driver and turnboy were arrested following the discovery during a multi-agency security operation along the Thika–Garissa Highway. The vehicle was travelling from Dadaab to Nairobi when officers stopped it for a search.
The DCI identified the vehicle as a Zafanana Coach bus operated by Northern Cruz Sacco. Both the bus and the recovered ammunition have been retained as detectives investigate the consignment.
Ammunition concealed in luggage
During the search, officers located a blue woven carrier bag on an overhead luggage rack serving seats 23, 24 and 25. Inside the bag were pieces of meat concealing a black nylon package, the DCI said.
Officers examined the package and found 48 rounds of 7.62×39mm ammunition, a calibre compatible with AK-47 assault rifles. The recovery described by investigators involved ammunition rather than a firearm.
The concealment placed the rounds inside meat carried in the passenger luggage area. Although investigators specified the section of the rack where the bag was found, the DCI statement did not identify the owner of the bag or link it to any named passenger.
Driver and turnboy held
The discovery led officers to arrest the driver and turnboy. The DCI said neither could account for the suspicious consignment or identify who owned it.
The two were taken to Kanyonyoo Police Station, where they remained in custody while detectives pursued inquiries. The information released by the DCI did not specify any charges against them.
Their arrests form part of the investigation into the recovered rounds. The account provided by investigators did not establish who packed the ammunition into the meat or how the carrier bag came to be placed on the overhead rack.
Source and destination under investigation
Detectives are working to establish where the ammunition originated and where it was intended to go. While the bus was on the Dadaab–Nairobi route, the DCI did not identify either location as the confirmed source or intended delivery point of the rounds.
The bus has also been detained as part of the continuing investigation. Officers secured the ammunition as an exhibit after removing it from the concealed package.
The ownership of the consignment remains a central unanswered question in the case. The DCI’s account places the recovery at Kanyonyoo but leaves the origin, intended recipient and destination of the ammunition subject to further inquiries.
