Police in Kisumu have recovered a Jericho pistol that was stolen from a General Service Unit (GSU) officer during the burial of ODM leader Raila Odinga in Bondo, Siaya County, last Sunday.

Five suspects, including the mother of the main suspect, have been arrested and are in custody following an intelligence-led operation in Kisumu East Sub-County.

According to Kisumu East Sub-County Police Commander Edward Wafula, officers from Kasagam Police Station, acting on a tip-off raided a rental house in Manyatta “B” slums, Mbeme area, where they found four suspects identified as Timothy Odhiambo, 19, David Beckham Odhiambo, 20, Tony Blair Omondi, 16 and Harun Ibrahim, 17.

Although no weapon was initially found, Wafula said the suspects were subjected to precise and intens interrogation, during which the main suspect, Timothy Odhiambo, led officers to his mother’s house about 400 metres away.

Police arrested Odhiambo’s mother, Lilian Atieno Nyabende, who resurfaced moments later, to assist in investigations. The firearm was immediately secured and identified as the one stolen from Police Constable Benson Kodia Olayo, a GSU officer attached to VIP protection unit of Kakamega Governor Fernandes Barasa.

The weapon was snatched from the officer on October 19, 2025, during the burial of former Prime Minister Raila Odinga at the Jaramogi Oginga Odinga University of Science and Technology (JOOUST) grounds in Bondo.

The high-profile funeral drew thousands of mourners, dignitaries and security personnel, creating a chaotic environment that overwhelmed officers on duty.

According to a report filed at Bondo Police Station, OB No. 47/19/10/2025, Constable Olayo lost the firearm while escorting the governor’s convoy out of the venue.

In the confusion, as crowds surged towards the dignitaries’ vehicles, an unknown person snatched the officer’s sidearm and disappeared into the crowd.  The weapon’s disappearance triggered an immediate multi-agency search led by DCI Bondo and Siaya County security teams.

Wafula said the recovery in Kisumu has now linked the firearm directly to that incident.

“The Jericho pistol recovered in Manyatta has been positively identified as the same one lost by the GSU officer in Bondo. The serial numbers match perfectly,” he said.

The scene in Kisumu was processed by scene of crime officers from Kisumu County before the suspects were taken into custody.

The weapon has since been handed over to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) Kisumu East for ballistic examination to determine whether it may have been used in any recent robberies or violent crimes. Wafula hailed the operation as a major breakthrough in the fight against armed criminal networks in Kisumu.

“The recovery of a stolen government firearm and the arrest of these dangerous suspects is a significant step towards restoring safety in our communities,” he said, commending the Kasagam undercover team for swift and coordinated action.

The five suspects will be arraigned in court once police conclude investigations.

• A Tell Media / KNA report / By Chris Mahandara