Two suspects arrested over violent robbery in Kisauni

The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) has arrested two suspects over allegations of violent robbery in Kisauni.

Kisauni Subcounty detectives pounced on the two robbery with violence suspects who have been terrorising residents in the surrounding areas.

The duo, 35-year-old and 27-year-old suspects alongside three still-at-large accomplices, staged a midnight robbery at a home in Majaoni, Kisauni.

Police said that in the dead of night, the gang stormed the homestead, ruthlessly shooting the man of the house in the ribs before vanishing into the darkness.

They allegedly took with them a 75-inch TV, two mobile phones, and other valuables. 

”Sadly, the man later succumbed to injuries while receiving treatment at the Coast General Hospital. A relentless manhunt was immediately launched” police said.

DCI said that acting on forensic intelligence, detectives smoked one of the suspects out of his hideout in Kinango, nabbing him with one of the phones stolen during the robbery in his possession. 

The dragnet then shifted to Mombasa town, where his partner-in-crime was cornered and arrested.

Both suspects are in custody, undergoing processing pending arraignment, as detectives pursue additional leads to bring the accomplices still at large to book.

This is even as a security expert linked Mombasa’s high number of criminal gangs to the county’s status as a tourism hub.

A survey by the National Crime Research Centre found that of 309 criminal gangs across 11 counties, Mombasa has 73, Nairobi 56, and Kilifi 47.

Abdikadir Dekow said the county’s tourism sector attracts people from various regions, including gang members, whose lifestyles can influence local youth.

"Young people often start with petty theft before moving to more serious crimes,” he said.

Dekow said while law enforcement crackdowns have reduced hard drug use, abuse of over-the-counter pharmaceuticals has risen. 

Drug abuse, he added, has contributed to teenage pregnancies, with some youths turning to crime to support their families.

Dekow called on both religious and political leaders to create programs to engage youth and curb drug abuse and crime.

He has initiated pool tournaments in Nyali as a recreational alternative.