Court of Appeal Judge Justice Aggrey Muchelule has reported the loss of his licensed firearm after police informed him that it had been recovered from a suspected robber who was fatally shot in Joska, Machakos County.
According to a police report filed at Spring Valley Police Station, Justice Muchelule received a call on Tuesday, July 14, informing him that his Beretta pistol had been recovered in Joska from a robbery suspect who had been killed during a police operation.
The call prompted the judge to check for the firearm at his residence in New Kitisuru, Nairobi, where he believed it had been stored.
Upon searching, he discovered that the pistol was missing and proceeded to report the matter to the police, triggering investigations into how it disappeared and ended up in criminal hands.
According to the police report filed under OB No. 58/14/07/2026, the judge told investigators that he rarely carried the firearm and had last physically checked it in October 2025 when he intended to renew his firearm licence but later forgot to complete the renewal process.
The recovered weapon is a Beretta pistol loaded with fifteen rounds of 9mm ammunition.
Police say the firearm was recovered after detectives engaged a violent robbery suspect, identified as Vincent Ochieng, in a fierce shootout at his rented house in Joska on July 13, 2026.
Ochieng was killed during the exchange, and officers recovered the loaded pistol together with several mobile phones.
According to investigators, Ochieng and his accomplices allegedly used the firearm to carry out a series of armed robberies, including the July 4 attack at Chaiiwali Restaurant along General Mathenge Road in Spring Valley, Westlands.
The robbery, which was captured on CCTV and widely circulated on social media, showed masked gunmen storming the restaurant and terrorizing customers before making away with valuables.
Investigations into the disappearance of the judge’s firearm and how it ended up in the possession of the slain suspect are ongoing.
