Kibet being escorted after the court martial on Thursday

By Daniel Edyegu

A POLICE officer has testified in the UPDF Third Division Court Martial in Mbale against a suspected arms trafficker. Daniel Simon Kibet, 34, is accused of illegal possession of firearms and terrorism.

During the hearing presided over by Lt. Col. Eugene Ssebugwawo on Thursday, Milton Osire, who is attached to Kampala Central Police Station, said while serving as the sector commander for Nakapiripirit in 2007, he interrogated and wrote a caution and charge statement against Kibet.

Osire said Kibet, a resident of Chema village in Tingey county, Kapchorwa district, was brought to his desk by the UPDF along with three SMG guns and 300 bullets to record a statement on December 19, 2007.

“He (Kibet) confessed he had been arrested with three guns and ammunition stuffed in three sacks of maize. He denied owning the guns and said he was just delivering them to business accomplices in Amudat including a UPDF soldier he identified as Tabu,” Osire said.

The UPDF recovered the three guns and bullets aboard a truck intercepted at Napedet check-point on the Mbale-Nakapiripirit road.

Osire said Kibet told him gun-trade with the Pokot in western Kenya was then a lucrative business, which fetched high returns.

“Kibet said he had already been paid sh500,000 to transport the guns and bullets to a man known as Saulo in Amudat. He had earlier delivered another gun to Kaabong,” Osire added.

When asked by defence lawyer Lt. Dan Madaba whether the Police had followed up Kibet’s accomplices, Osire said they did but failed to track them. In his ruling, Ssebugwawo said Kibet had a case to answer. He adjourned the case to October 26.