17-Year-Old Kenyan Student Arrested with Gun, Says Was Gifted to Him by Relative Living in the US

A 17-year-old Form Four student st Orero Secondary School in Homabay is being held by police after he was found with a gun in school. The student shocked the school fraternity after he was nabbed with a pistol he says was gifted to him by a relative living in the US.

Police, acting on a tip-off from other students arrived at the school and prevailed over the boy to hand over the firearm, which he had buried near the school fence.

Homa Bay County Police boss Esau Ochorokodi said the gun had no ammunition, but was in good working condition. “We have tested the pistol and found that it is working. However, we did not find bullets in it,” said Ochorokodi.

Upon interrogation, the boy told detectives that he got the firearm from a relative who lives in the US. “He has not revealed his motive for possessing the gun but we are still interrogating him,” said Ochorokodi.

The school’s principal, Dickens Bula said the boy, who hails from Rachuonyo North sub-county, had not shown any signs of criminal activity in the past. “He was a bit cheeky but we never saw any signs of criminal activity,” said Bula. “When the information reached me, I ordered secret investigations involving both teachers and students to establish where the gun was hidden but they did not find it,” said Bula. “I had to engage the police who are experts in these matters because we trusted the boys who gave us the information. The situation was causing tension because nobody knew what the boy planned to do with the gun,” said Bula.

“We were surprised to find that the boy had been hiding the gun all along. It was covered with soil and dry grass which had been slashed near the fence,” added the principal.