Pangani Police Station/SCREENGRAB
A routine taxi ride in Nairobi took an unexpected turn after a passenger discovered a loaded Glock pistol lying on the back seat, prompting the driver to head straight to Pangani Police Station.
The firearm, a Glock pistol loaded with 17 rounds of 9mm ammunition and tucked inside a black holster, was handed over to police on Monday night, setting off investigations to trace the person who left it behind.
Police said the taxi driver reported that at about 8pm, he picked up a passenger heading to Pangani. Shortly after getting into the back seat, the passenger spotted what appeared to be a firearm and immediately alerted the driver.
The pair drove directly to Pangani Police Station, where officers examined the object and confirmed it was a loaded Glock pistol.
Investigators were told the driver had transported only two passengers earlier in the day to different destinations. Police have recorded their identities as they pursue leads to establish who left the weapon in the vehicle.
The recovered firearm has since been secured in the station's armoury pending investigations.
Nairobi police commander Issa Mohamud said detectives were working to identify the lawful owner of the pistol and establish whether it may have been used in any criminal activity.
"We will know more on the issue after we get the owner," Mohamud said.
The incident comes days after police recovered a pistol belonging to a Garissa-based businessman from underneath a seat in his vehicle after he had reported it stolen.
Meanwhile, detectives have launched a separate investigation after a suspected stray bullet tore through the roof of a house in Njiru, Kayole Sub-County, narrowly missing members of a family preparing for evening prayers.
The incident was reported at Obama Police Station on Monday evening by a resident living near a church.
The homeowner told police that at around 6.45pm, as the family was preparing to pray, his house help alerted him after hearing an object crash through the roof.
On checking the corridor, he found what appeared to be a bullet head on the floor.
Police established that the suspected 9mm bullet had pierced the iron-sheet roof, punched through the gypsum ceiling and landed inside the house. Investigators identified a small hole in the ceiling where the projectile passed through.
Crime Scene Investigation officers documented the scene, and no injuries were reported.
Police recovered the suspected bullet head, which has been retained for forensic analysis, as detectives seek to establish where the shot was fired from.
