On Tuesday evening, Justice Muchelule told police that he only learned that his Beretta 92-series pistol was stolen when investigators called the judge to inform him that the firearm had been recovered in Joska, Machakos County.
The Beretta pistol was recovered in the house of a suspected robber whom police believe was among individuals who were captured on CCTV stealing phones, cash and other valuables from patrons of Chaii Wali Café in Westlands.
Police shot dead the suspected robber at his girlfriend’s house in Joska on Monday after a shootout.
Police shoot dead suspect linked to Westlands restaurant robbery in Joska operation
Joska police boss Peter Gichohi told the Nation that the suspect had been in hiding there since the Chaii Wali robbery, and that a search was underway for three other individuals who attacked and robbed Chaii Wali patrons.
A team of officers from the DCI headquarters and Matungulu police station confronted the man, whom they said opened fire instead of surrendering, leading to the shootout that killed the suspect.
The DCI in a statement said that they recovered the Beretta pistol, four rounds of 9mm bullets and three mobile phones following the incident.
Upon checking the gun’s serial number at the firearm registry, police found that it was issued to Justice Muchelule in 2018.
The judge has now told Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) officers that when he received a call that the gun had been recovered in Joska, he rushed to his home to check whether it was still there, but did not find it.
Justice Muchelule did not pick or return multiple calls made to his known mobile phone number on Monday and Tuesday. The judge did not respond to text messages.
Justice Muchelule told DCI officers at Gigiri police station that when he acquired the gun in 2018, he had 15 rounds of ammunition.
This indicates that at least 11 rounds of ammunition have been fired from the pistol, which was also used in a violent robbery in Mtwapa, Kilifi County in February.
In the Chaii Wali incidents, the gun holder fired two rounds in the air before the suspects fled on a motorcycle.
Further, Justice Muchelule told police that since issuance, he rarely carried the gun and that his firearm holder’s license expired on October 1, 2025.
Records from the Firearms Licensing Board accessed by police had indicated that the Beretta pistol was listed as inactive on the same day that Justice Muchelule’s license expired.
In his statement to police, the judge said that he initiated the firearm license renewal process last year but did not get round to completing the process.
The DCI has deployed teams to Ruaka and Kangemi to hunt for other suspects from the Chaii Wali incident, and another robbery outside a salon in which a woman lost a phone valued at over Sh100,000.
Screengrab from CCTV footage showing an armed man robbing women at a salon in Ruaka.
Photo credit: Pool
Operation Support Unit (OSU) officers have been tasked with tracing and arresting the suspects from both incidents, who fled on motorcycles.
Last Sunday, at around noon, an armed man was captured on camera attacking women in a salon in Ruaka, Kiambu County as he chased after his initial target who had a phone worth over Sh100,000.
The suspect, who was dressed in green overalls, was seen struggling with the woman believed to be a salon staff member before grabbing her mobile phone.
On February 7, DCI officers arrested six individuals on suspicion of being behind a violent burglary in Mtwapa.
The burglary occurred on January 28, 2026, and turned violent after the robbers attacked individuals they found in the house.
The six suspects were arrested in Vipingo, Kilifi County following an intelligence-led investigation.
Screengrab from CCTV footage showing four armed men storming a restaurant in Westlands and robbing customers.
Photo credit: Pool
A search conducted at one of the suspects’ houses led to the recovery of six mobile phones, eight national identity cards bearing different names, two Somali swords and two machetes.
At a second house, police recovered 18 rolls of bhang and Sh7,000 in cash, believed to be proceeds of crime.
