Driver Samuel Ngui Munyithya, and turnboy Justus Muatha Kiola of Zafanana Coach bus arrested after they were unable to account for the suspicious consignment of 48 rounds of AK-47 ammunition concealed inside pieces of meat inside the bus. Photo by DCI. 
By Fredrick Kioko
A routine security operation in Kanyonyoo, Kitui County, turned into a major security incident after a multi-agency team intercepted a passenger bus and recovered 48 rounds of AK-47 ammunition concealed inside pieces of meat.
The incident occurred along the Thika–Garissa Highway after security officers stopped a Zafanana Coach operated by Northern Cruz Sacco. The bus was travelling from Dadaab to Nairobi when it was intercepted for a security check.
According to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), officers conducting a search of the bus became suspicious of a blue woven carrier bag placed on the overhead luggage rack serving seats 23, 24 and 25.
A closer inspection of the bag revealed pieces of meat, but officers discovered that the consignment had been deliberately used to conceal a black nylon package.
Inside the package were 48 live rounds of 7.62×39mm ammunition, a type of ammunition compatible with AK-47 rifles.
The discovery prompted the arrest of the bus driver, Samuel Ngui Munyithya, and turnboy Justus Muatha Kiola, after they were unable to account for the suspicious consignment or identify its owner.
The two suspects were escorted to Kanyonyoo Police Station, where they remained in custody as detectives commenced investigations to establish the source of the ammunition, how it was placed on the bus and its intended destination.
The bus was also detained, while the recovered ammunition was secured as an exhibit to aid further investigations.
Detectives are expected to pursue leads that could establish whether the ammunition was being transported to a specific individual or location and whether other people were involved in the suspected illegal movement of the firearms-related material.
