Two armed gangsters who have been terrorizing residents in the five counties of Uasin-Gishu, Trans-Nzoia, Bungoma, Kakamega and Vihiga were Saturday shot dead in a clash in Lugari, Kakamega county.
The two, responsible for killing three innocent members of the public and maiming several others, died in a shootout with detectives from headquarters’ operations branch.
An AK-47 assault rifle loaded with 19 rounds of 7.62mm special calibre was recovered.
Police said the men were headed for a mission. This is after the armed thugs who were on a motorbike heading to Eldoret from Mumias defied orders to surrender and shot at the officers, prompting the undercover detectives to answer the provocation with a volley of fierce gunfire killing them on the spot.
The unidentified suspects were part of a five-man gang that had staged a total of 8 armed attacks in the five counties, between October 22 to December 26, all targeting Mpesa shops, supermarkets and wholesale shops where millions of shillings were lost leading to an outcry from businessmen in the said counties.
A report from the forensic ballistic unit based at the Directorate of Criminal Investigation National Forensic Laboratory had linked all the attacks to one firearm prompting the deployment of a team of seasoned detectives to the five counties on a manhunt for the thugs.
The team is still camping in the area pursuing more accomplices who could be hiding and on the run.
A team was sent from Nairobi to back up with local ones in pursuit of the gang.
