Police have launched investigations after a loaded pistol, two magazines and 17 rounds of ammunition were found dumped inside a trash bin at Moi International Airport in Mombasa.
The firearm was discovered on Wednesday night at Terminal One by a cleaner who was emptying one of the bins inside the airport.
According to police, the cleaner noticed a black glove hidden among the trash. On checking it, he found a 9mm Ruger pistol wrapped inside and immediately alerted airport security officers.
A security team responded and recovered the pistol together with two magazines. One magazine was loaded with 10 bullets while the other had seven.
The weapon was handed over to detectives as investigations got underway.
Police are now reviewing CCTV footage and questioning airport staff to establish who abandoned the gun and how it found its way into one of Kenya’s busiest airports.
The incident has renewed concerns over illegal firearms and security in public places.
It also comes just days after another gun incident in Nairobi sparked public debate after reports emerged that a pistol recovered from a suspected thug during a raid in Machakos was allegedly linked to a Court of Appeal judge.
Authorities are still investigating the claims.
Reacting to the reports, former Law Society of Kenya President Nelson Havi dismissed the claims, saying:
“I hear that the gunmen at the General Mathenge Road Restaurant raid were on a specific mission. They went to impound a phone with incriminating messages and images of someone important. They were taken out and the gun recovered from them after they demanded more than they contracted for. This is aggravated elephant bullshit!”
Police have not linked the firearm recovered at Moi International Airport to any crime.
Investigations are ongoing as detectives work to trace the owner of the pistol and establish why it was dumped inside the airport terminal.
