Nairobi News

A teenager suspected to be a member of a three-man gang that engaged police officers in a shootout in Mathare slums, Nairobi, after reportedly robbing a bodaboda rider is facing charges of violent robbery.

At the Makadara Law Courts, Edwin Kamau, 18, was charged with robbery with violence contrary to section 295 as read with section 296 (2) of the Penal Code.

He is accused of robbing Edward Wamalwa of his motorcycle and a mobile phone all valued at Sh160, 000 on June 6, 2023, jointly with others not before the court while armed with a pistol and pangas.

Mr Kamau is accused of committing the offence jointly with two accomplices including one who was shot dead by the police during a confrontation after the robbery.

The robbery happened at around 3am.

The suspect is further accused of threatening to use actual violence against the complainant during the robbery.

Police officers found the gangsters with Mr Wamalwa’s bike immediately after the robbery and challenged them to surrender but the suspects shot at the cops prompting the officers to kill one of them.

Mr Kamau who was physically known to the officers escaped into the slums in Kosovo area of Mathare together with his other accomplice who is still at large.

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Mr Wamalwa had dropped a passenger in the area and was riding near the Kenya School of Monetary Studies when another client requested a ride, to be picked from the Kosovo area.

The rider accepted the request and proceeded to the area where he met the client in the company of two other men who ordered him to surrender the ignition key and the motorbike, his phone, and his wallet.

The gangsters who were armed with a pistol and pangas also ordered him to share his mobile phone password and M-pesa Personal Identification Number (PIN) before ordering him to leave.

Fortunately, while ransacking his pockets, the thugs did not steal a remote for the bike and Mr Wamalwa used it to switch the bike off while running away.

Mr Wamalwa met police officers on patrol about 100 meters from the robbery scene and informed them. The cops proceeded to the scene where they found the gangsters unable to ride the bike and ordered them to surrender before the shootout ensued.

The police officers recovered the motorbike and identified Mr Kamau as among the two who escaped. However, Mr Wamalwa’s phone was not recovered. And the firearm used in the robbery has also not been recovered.

The matter was reported at the Mathare police station and the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) took over investigations before Mr Kamau was arrested by officers from Mathare police station on October 3, from his hideout in the area.

Mr Kamau who was detained by the DCI at the Ruaraka police station after his arrest, denied the charges before Principal Magistrate Irene Gichobi.

Prosecution counsel Susan Kibungi urged the court to consider that a firearm was used in the robbery and the suspect has been on the run for four months.

Ms Gichobi remanded Mr Kamau in custody and ordered a pre-bail report to be prepared by the Probation and Aftercare Services Department to determine whether the suspect is suitable for bail and bond terms.

The social inquiry report will be tabled in court on November 16 during the mention of the case. The suspect’s trial starts on February 19 next year.