Three police officers, four suspects and a deadly gun fight

Police in Nakuru have arrested four individuals suspected to be part of a gang responsible for a recent wave of violent robberies in the county.

The arrests come after a shootout between police officers and the suspects, leading to the recovery of ammunition believed to have been used in the crimes.

According to Nakuru County Commissioner Loyford Kibaara, the four suspects were apprehended yesterday, bringing the total number of suspects in police custody to seven. Three others had been arrested last week in connection to the same string of crimes.

"Yesterday’s exchange of gunfire between our officers and the suspects led to the recovery of ammunition believed to have been used in the recent robberies. For the past week, we have experienced a disturbing series of violent robberies, which tragically resulted in the deaths of four M-Pesa operators," says Kibaara.

He added that witnesses had reported seeing the suspects using an AK-47 rifle during the attacks, a claim confirmed by the police through the recovery of 7.62mm special cartridges at various crime scenes.

Kibaara also revealed that the criminal activities mainly occurred between 7pm and 8:30 pm  over the past three days, specifically targeting M-Pesa shops.

"Last night, there was a robbery incident in Bondeni and while our officers were on patrol, they were engaged in a shootout with suspects around 8:30 pm. Following a long night of tracking, we recovered the firearm in the Bondeni area, where a woman operating a kiosk had been hiding the weapon and supplying it to the criminals," he discloses.

He further disclosed, among those arrested, five are said to be from Kuria at the Kenya and Tanzania border, and that one suspect is a recently released ex-convict from Nakuru GK Prison.

“The suspects are aged between 29 and 35 years, and one of the arrested is a 45-year-old woman believed to have played a key logistical role in the gang's operations. We are not stopping here. Investigations are ongoing, and we are following more leads to ensure all those involved are brought to book," Kibaara affirms

From the cross fire, Kibaara notes that three police officers were shot and injured.

However, according to a police report seen by Mtaa Wangu, in the shoot out, police constables Saul Mutoro, Josephat Ruto, and Walter Makori were injured.

Mutoro was injured on the right hand by a panga and was treated and discharged and in a stable condition.

Ruto was shot on the Pelvic area and the bullet exited on the left breaking his left foot ankle. He was rushed to Nakuru Teaching and Referral Hospital, where he succumbed to injuries while undergoing treatment due to excessive bleeding. The body moved to the same facility.

Makori was shot at the back, and the bullet exited at the stomach, he has been admitted in a serious condition.

One robber was shot and escaped with a gunshot wound on the right hand.

In the arrest, detectives recovered four mobile phones, assorted SIM cards, bus tickets dated May 25, in the name of one suspect who travelled to Kehancha and Kisii and a motorcycle.

The suspects also led the officers to Bondeni where they recovered an AK 47 s/no. 88X40944 hidden under a heap of grass on the roadside.