- They tied and locked some of the workers in a toilet while demanding cash from them.
- Police said they recovered a homemade gun that had four bullets.
Seven suspected thugs were gunned down by police in separate incidents in a renewed war on armed crime in Nairobi.
Police said they recovered two pistols, assorted crude weapons and other stolen property from the slain men.
"They were all under 25 and the youngest was 19," police said.
The first incident happened on Tuesday evening along Mombasa Road where three men were shot and killed in a botched robbery of a factory.
According to police and witnesses, the three miscreants had just staged a robbery and were headed for another mission when they met detectives who had responded to a distress call.
Earlier, a few minutes to 5 pm, detectives had received information from a concerned citizen that armed men were about to commit a robbery along a specific area on Mombasa Road.
Police said the gang had also attacked a businessman at Alfa centre and held him hostage while demanding cash when an alarm was raised.
They locked some of the workers there in a toilet while demanding cash from them.
As the officers responded to the scene, two of the thugs opened fire at a police car shattering one of its side mirrors prompting police to hit back and killed the three.
A barreta pistol loaded with four rounds of 9mm calibre, one toy pistol, one pocket phone, one HP laptop, one hammer, one Somali sword and six assorted mobile phones were recovered from the thugs.
Those who had been attacked later identified the slain suspects.
Nairobi police boss James Mugera said the other accomplices managed to escape on foot.
He said two other suspects had earlier on been killed in Mowlem area in a failed robbery.
The men had also tried to escape on a motorcycle when police on patrol chased them.
One was killed on the spot while the second one who had escaped with gunshot wounds was arrested by the public while bleeding and succumbed minutes later.
Police who attended the scene said they recovered a homemade gun that had four bullets, the motorcycle they were using and a television set that had been stolen.
Along Lumumba Drive in Kasarani area, another suspect was killed in a botched robbery and a pistol was found on him.
Police said the man was in the company of three others and had been attacking and robbing pedestrians Wednesday morning when an alarm was raised, alerting undercover officers on patrol.
Another suspect had been killed in Githurai 44 area and a pistol was found on him.
The suspect is said to have been part of a gang that had been attacking and robbing residents on Monday night when police were alerted. Three other accomplices managed to escape, police said.
Meanwhile, the bodies of the slain suspects are lying at the city mortuary pending identification as detectives pursue those who escaped with life-threatening injuries.
Elsewhere, two men who were driving cows on a pickup from Kiambu to Nairobi were arrested on suspicion the animals were stolen.
The cows are detained at Ruai police station pending further investigations following the 2 am incident.
Mugera said they have enhanced patrols in the city to address pockets of lawlessness being experienced.