Officers drawn from the Kenyan Police and the Directorate of Criminal Investigation (DCI) on Saturday, October 23, emerged as the runners-up in an international shooting championship held in South Africa.
In a statement released by the DCI on Sunday, October 24, the DCI congratulated the team of 15 officers after they won silver medals in the competition. On October 10, the officers were commissioned to travel to South Africa to represent the country.
During the finals, the officers from Kenya were edged out by their counterparts from South Africa. However, they managed to beat elite police officers from countries such as Canada.
"Police team representing Kenya clinched the second position, in a competitive outing that brought together shooters from across the world. Our players effectively applied the marksmanship principles clinching point after another, to finish second in the 84th South African Bisley Championships, behind hosts South Africa," read the statement.
In addition, the DCI further revealed that three of their officers managed to make it to the finals, noting that they received commendation for their wits throughout the competition.
"The Kenyan flag took its pride of place among those from countries that boast of more experienced and established teams such as Canada, Britain, Australia, and New Zealand among others. Shooters from Kenya Police and DCI represented the country in the hotly contested competitions,"
"Detectives Alfred Njoka, Philip Kipchumba, and sensation marksman Elphas Ngetich who made it to the finals led the onslaught in Kenya’s quest for gold. But the South Africans who had the home advantage over our boys snatched the win narrowly, read the statement in part.
Notably, another Kenyan officer was recognized for her expertise and awarded a prestigious medal in recognition of her prowess.
"Other players included Corporal Priscillah Wangui, a musketry specialist from the National Police College Main Campus in Kiganjo, a distinguished shooter who is a recipient of the Order of the Grand Warrior (OGW)," the DCI stated.
Various security agencies joined other Kenyans to congratulate the officers for their exemplary performance and for putting Kenya on the global map yet again.
"The highly competitive Championship, which had only two teams from Africa, saw South Africa emerge the overall winner with Canada coming in third. Congratulations to team Kenya. We are proud of you," the National Police Service(NPS) tweeted.
In recent years, Kenyan officers have continuously made a name for themselves in global shooting competitions.
On September 4, officers from the elite Recce squad and the Anti-Terror Police Unit (ATPU) won an international competition that was held in the Kirigiti shooting range in Kenya.
