- He said police officers acted swiftly after a member of the public reported that there were suspected thugs at the victim’s home.
- Machakos county Criminal Investigations Officer Benedict Kigen admitted to the rise in crime in Tala.
Image: The Star
Police in Machakos are holding three suspected thugs after they were arrested during a botched robbery at a home in Matungulu subcounty on Thursday.
The trio was arrested after they were found red-handed stealing from one of the resident's homestead in the Kyaume sublocation in Machakos county.
Matungulu subcounty police commander Peter Omondi said the incident was reported to Tala police station on January 5.
Omondi said the suspects were nabbed on Thursday morning and were placed under lawful custody at Tala police station.
He said police officers acted swiftly after a member of the public reported that there were suspected thugs at the victim’s home.
Four gas cylinders and a litre of chang’aa were recovered from the suspects.
“They were arrested and taken to Tala police station and will be arraigned in court on Friday),” Omondi told the Star by phone on Thursday.
The arrests were effected three days after a security guard was found murdered outside a supermarket in Tala town.
Machakos county police commander Issa Mohammud on Monday said they suspected the man was killed in a scuffle with his attackers who wanted to access the supermarket.
He said the suspected criminals invaded the supermarket, dug through its wall and ransacked the cash deposit box before carting away an unknown amount of money.
“They also stole several valuables and attacked a guard on duty,” Mohammud said.
The police boss said they were investigating the incident.
Mohammud said the gang had dismantled the CCTV cameras at the supermarket to avoid being detected.
“We suspect the gang is part of former workers at the supermarket but we are pursuing the matter,” the police boss said.
The incident happened weeks after another security guard was killed outside a church in the Nguluni area in Matungulu subcounty in similar circumstances.
Machakos county Criminal Investigations Officer Benedict Kigen admitted to the rise in crime in Tala.
Kigen, however, noted that security apparatus were alert and security had beefed in all parts of the county including Tala shopping centre and Matungulu subcounty at large.
He said police were committed to cracking down on the criminals.
“We will leave no stone unturned to bring those behind these heinous acts to book and restore security in Machakos county,” Kigen said.