Politician Steve Mbogo causes a stir posing with guns at Dusit Hotel where Al Shabaab carried out an attack

Politician Steve Mbogo causes a stir posing with guns at Dusit Hotel

Tony Mukere

January 15, 2019 8:05 PM

Rescue operations are still ongoing

Politician Steve Mbogo causes a stir posing with guns at Dusit Hotel where Al Shabaab carried out an attack

Controversial politician Steve Mbogo was among civilians who responded to the terror attack at Dusit Hotel.

Mbogo was seen posing with what appeared to be a high-calibre assault rifles and a bullet proof vest outside of the Dusit complex where rescue operations were going on.

It was not clear what why the politician was allowed at the scene where hundreds of officers from the Kenya Army, the GSU, and the Recce squad had swarmed the compound.

The former Starehe parliamentary aspirant added on to the stir caused by a huge crowd that gathered outside the scene of attack.

Mbogo later told eDaily that he was at Dusit in his capacity as a licensed civilian gun holder.

“I am a licensed firearms holder. I was running my errands near the dusitD2 Hotel here in Nairobi, when I learnt that the facility was under a terror attack. Because I was in a position to help, given I have good knowledge on how to handle firearms and protect myself against such situations, I went in to help in the rescue operations," he said.

He could not, however, answer how he acquired the bullet proof vest and the high-calibre assault rifle that is the preserve of security forces.

“I am still occupied with rescue operations. Let me take cover and then I will speak to you later." the news site quoted him.

While Kenyan law allows civilians to own guns, there is limitation on the types of guns civilians can get.