•Police recover car reported to have been stolen in Kiambu, an AK47 rifle, 15 bullets and other assault weapons
•Officer succumbs to injuries after being shot by suspected gang member in Starehe subcounty on Tuesday
Image: COURTESY
A dramatic shoot-out left a police officer injured and and two suspected criminals dead in Kayole area, Nairobi, on Monday evening.
An exchange of gunfire broke out after police officers accosted the two men who had allegedly stolen a white Toyota Allion from Kiambu.
Police constable Boris Mureithi who sustained injuries was admitted at Nairobi Hospital with broken fingers of his right hand and a fractured leg.
Nairobi police boss Philip Ndolo said members of public had widely circulated the reports of the lost car on social media.
“We circulated the vehicle in our networks and it was spotted in Kayole,” Ndolo said on Tuesday.
After being flagged down, one of the men fired at the officers on routine patrol prompting the officers to engage them, killing the two.
The incident took place at Kayole junction.
Police recovered the car, registration number KCW 726C, an AK47 rifle, 15 bullets, a special type of binoculars, two knives and other assault weapons.
Police said the car was involved in a robbery in Kiambu.
Reports indicate one of the men, known as Derrick, has been terrorizing residents and bragging with his gun skills publicly.
Police were using two phones recovered from the two identify them and track down accomplices.
In September, police arrested two men and a woman said to be among a car stealing syndicate in areas of Kasarani and Roysambu.
Police identified the three as Francis Kinyanjui (53), Gladys Wanjiku (36) and Stephen Njoroge (33).
Yesterday, Kayole subcounty police commander Wilson Kosgei described Kayole as the bed room of criminals, saying many commit robberies elsewhere and go to hide in the area.
Following high number of robbery incidences reported, police issued a 11pm curfew on bodaboda riders.
“We have established that many criminals use motorbikes. They accost you at your gate and force you to withdraw all the money in your M-Pesa and bank accounts and even do overdrafts,” Kosgei told the Star yesterday.
Fifty bodaboda riders were arrested on Monday for flaunting the police order to stop business at 11pm.
Yesterday, bodaboda riders took to the streets, blocking Eastern bypass and roads to protest the curfew.
Elsewhere, a police officer succumbed to injuries after being shot by a suspected gang member in Starehe subcounty on Tuesday afternoon.
A police report indicates that police constables Albert Siengo, Richard Muthua and Abdi Khadir were patrolling Kisumu Ndogo slums when they met a group of five suspicious men.
Upon interrogation, they arrested one of them identified as Joseph Njenga Kamau, 32.
“One of the men incited the group who shouted at the officers and demanded release of their colleague,” the report reads in part.
In the scuffle, the men shot at Khadir on the right rib, with the bullet exiting on the left upper arm and stoned Siengo on the right leg.
The men then escaped without stealing anything from the officers.
Both officers were rushed to Korogocho health centre by boda boda riders where Khadir was pronounced dead while undergoing treatment.