At least eight suspects have been arrested in connection with a spate of robberies that have rocked Kiserian, Kajiado County, in recent weeks.
Police said the suspects were nabbed on September 5 in coordinated operations in Mwea-Kagio, Kirinyaga County, and Rimpa in Kiserian.
Their arrests followed a series of violent incidents reported on August 9, August 22, August 23, and September 1.
During the operation, officers recovered a car believed to have been used in the robberies, alongside surgical gloves, cellotape, assorted mobile phones, a police pocket phone, an axe, a baton, a metal rod, and an AK-47 rifle with eight rounds of ammunition.
The most recent attack occurred on September 1 when a gang stormed the home of a businessman in Kahuho village, Kiserian.
The assailants, some armed with AK-47 rifles and one dressed in military fatigues, held eight family members hostage for nearly two hours.
The attackers made away with three laptops, Sh200,000 in cash, assorted electronics, and also transferred Sh12,000 from stolen mobile phones.
In an apparent attempt to intimidate the victims, one of the gang members fired a shot into the floor, shattering the tiles. Before fleeing, they picked up the spent cartridge.
Although no one was injured, the family described the ordeal as harrowing. “It was two hours of pure torture,” one family member told police.
The attacks have revived fears among residents, who recall the wave of gang violence that plagued Kiserian in 2006, forcing some families to abandon their homes.
Police have assured residents that security has been reinforced to prevent a resurgence of gang activity in the area.
The eight suspects are set to appear in court on September 8 to face robbery with violence charges.
