Seven suspected highway robbers were shot dead on Wednesday at Kibunja in Molo, Nakuru County and three guns recovered.
The thugs who were 10 in number had been trailed from Nairobi's Kayole estate.
"The police officers were trailing them and killed them at noon," Molo OCPD Daniel Kamanza told the Star.
They were travelling in Prado and Fielder cars before they were ambushed at Kibunja, three managed to escape.
Four of them were gunned down at Kibunja trading centre while the other three were killed 50 metres away as they drove towards Eldoret.
Daniel Kamanza said they were accosted by the officers as they drove towards Eldoret in two vehicles.
"Those notorious thugs had an intent to rob goods from the trailers along the busy highway before they were gunned down at noon,” he said.
He said the three who escaped towards Molo town through Kibunja forest and are being pursued.
At the crime scene, police recovered an Ak 47 rifle and six rounds of ammunition, three pistols- two of which are homemade, four rounds of pistol ammunition, two police radios, a pair of handcuffs and documents belonging to the suspects.
The police boss said that the suspects have been on the list of the most wanted criminals.
He said the shooting was a breakthrough in the fight against highway robbery.
Bodies of all the suspects were moved to the Molo sub-county hospital mortuary.