A pistol licensed to Court of Appeal Judge Aggrey Muchelule has been linked to a series of violent crimes, including the recent armed robbery at Chaii Wali Cafe in Nairobi’s Westlands area, after detectives recovered the weapon from a suspected robber killed in a police operation.
Investigators established that the Beretta 92-series pistol, licensed to the judge in 2018, was recovered on Monday during a shoot-out in Joska, Machakos County. The suspect was believed to be among four men captured on CCTV robbing customers of phones, cash, and other valuables at the Westlands restaurant.
According to police, officers from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) headquarters and Matungulu Police Station tracked the suspect to his girlfriend’s house in Joska. Detectives said he opened fire when confronted, prompting an exchange of gunfire in which he was fatally shot.
The DCI said officers recovered the pistol, four rounds of ammunition, and three mobile phones from the scene.
After tracing the firearm’s serial number through the Firearms Registry, investigators established that it had been issued to Justice Muchelule in 2018.
The judge later recorded a statement with detectives, saying he only realised the firearm was missing after police informed him that it had been recovered in Joska. He told investigators that he immediately checked his home but could not find the weapon.
Justice Muchelule also informed detectives that he had received the firearm with 15 rounds of ammunition in 2018. Investigators believe at least 11 rounds have since been discharged, with the weapon also being linked to a violent robbery in Mtwapa, Kilifi County, in February.
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Detectives further established that the judge’s firearm licence expired on October 1, 2025. Records from the Firearms Licensing Board indicated that the pistol was marked inactive on the same date.
In his statement, Justice Muchelule said he had started the process of renewing his firearm licence last year but did not complete it. He also stated that he rarely carried the pistol after acquiring it.
The firearm has also been connected to another robbery in Ruaka, Kiambu County, where an armed suspect attacked a woman outside a salon and stole a mobile phone worth more than Sh100,000 before firing a shot into the air as he escaped on a motorcycle. Police recovered a spent cartridge from the scene, which forms part of the ongoing investigation.
The pistol has also been linked to a violent burglary in Mtwapa, Kilifi County, which occurred on January 28, 2026. According to investigators, the robbery turned violent after the suspects confronted occupants inside the house.
On February 7, DCI detectives arrested six suspects in Vipingo, Kilifi County, following an intelligence-led operation. During searches at one of the suspects’ homes, officers recovered six mobile phones, eight national identity cards, two Somali swords, and two machetes.
Detectives are continuing to pursue the remaining suspects linked to the Westlands and Ruaka robberies as forensic experts examine the recovered Beretta pistol. Investigators hope the ballistic analysis will establish whether the firearm was used in additional crimes and help piece together the full extent of the criminal network’s activities across several counties.
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