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Kasarani Police gun down suspected bodaboda gangster


A suspected bodaboda gangster was on Tuesday morning gunned down by police in Nairobi.

The gangster is reported to have attacked and robbed a lady at Seasons area in Kasarani, and then attempted to escape.

The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) said in a statement via Twitter that police officers who were in the vicinity mounted a chase with a police vehicle and easily overpowered the suspects who were riding the motorcycle as they attempted to escape.

“The motorcycle they were using to escape wobbled and the armed suspect fell off but instead of surrendering he drew a firearm and started shooting at our officers indiscriminately,” the DCI said.

The deceased’s body was taken to Nairobi’s City Mortuary.

The DCI revealed that the gang is suspected to be behind a robbery of a similar nature that occurred in Githurai on Monday night.

The criminals had just snatched a lady’s handbag in the densely populated area before shooting into a crowd that had gathered in response to the lady’s screams.

The incident saw a bystander left nursing injuries after he was allegedly shot in his arm by the suspects.

He was rushed to St John’s hospital in Githurai, where he was treated and referred to Kiambu Level 5 hospital for specialized treatment.

Nairobi has of late experienced a wave of insecurity linked to poverty, joblessness, and social dysfunction due to the effects of the pandemic.

The criminal gangs have been targeting civilians visiting banks or boarding public service vehicles to steal money and electronic gadgets.

On Monday, Inspector-General of Police Hilary Mutyambai said they had formed a special unit to crack down on criminals involved in violent robberies targeting business owners and commuters in public service vehicles.

The IG said that the anti-mugging squad is tasked with dealing with robbery with violence incidents, including those involving boda-boda riders.

“We have a special anti-mugging squad that handles robbery with violence incidents including the ones that involve boda-boda riders. We have been engaging the operators through a sensitization program dubbed Usalama barabarani on abiding by the rule of law,” said Mutyambai.

The police chief further indicated that a multi-agency team was set up to handle kidnapping and murder cases that have rocked Nairobi and Kajiado counties in recent months.

“We have police officers on patrol 24/7. We also have an elaborate multi-agency team comprised of a special crime prevention unit that deals with homicides. We also encourage members of the public to report to the police should they spot any unusual activity,” he added.