Two officers and three civilians have been injured at the Bungoma Law Courts after a gun belonging to a Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) officer accidentally discharged live rounds.
The incident occurred during a case hearing at the court, according to Judiciary Spokesperson Paul Ndemo.
Ndemo added that the five injured individuals did not sustain serious injuries and were rushed to the Bungoma Referral Hospital for medical attention.
"At 10:50am, during the hearing of a criminal matter in the High Court, a DCI officer's firearm accidentally discharged a bullet, injuring him, a Kenya Prison's Officer, and three civilians," Ndemo stated.
"All five were rushed to Bungoma Referral Hospital, where they are undergoing treatment. They are all reported to be in stable condition. There were no serious injuries or fatalities," he added.
Apart from the five, the rest of the court officials and members of the public who were present during the hearing were unharmed.
"All court officials as well as members of the public at the Court are safe and there is therefore no need for alarm," Ndemo said.
"The County security team has since visited the Courts and is assessing the situation. The Judiciary will keep the public informed on the matter," he added.
Following the incident, Bungoma County Police Commander Anderson Njagi said security agencies have since been dispatched to assess the situation and kickstart investigations to determine what exactly transpired.
Njagi further noted that security agencies in the county will do what it takes to prevent such incidents from recurring.
"We want to reassure the judiciary of their safety and cooperation in this matter, and we are going to do everything possible to ensure that this kind of incident does not occur in the future," Njagi stated.
Responding to the incident, DCI claimed that appropriate measures will be undertaken to ensure accountability and address any potential lapses.
