Two night guards hacked to death in robbery incident in Nairobi's Eastleigh area

Two night guards were Thursday bludgeoned to death in a robbery incident in Eastleigh, Nairobi.

The two were on duty when a gang raided Bangkok Mall and started to break into shops. Police say they tried to intervene when they were hacked to death. The gang managed steal property and cash from the shops.

Police said at least five shops were broken into and property and cash stolen during the 1 a.m. incident.

Starehe OCPD Bernard Nyakwaka said they are yet to make an arrest over the incident.

“They struck as it rained and the guards are believed to have tried to stop them when they were killed. We are investigating the incident,” said Nyakwaka.

The bodies of the guards were discovered by their colleagues who were supposed to relive them. Witnesses said those who were supposed to relieve the deceased arrived on duty early on Thursday and found the main door open.

“On checking inside, they found the bodies of the two lying on the floor having been killed by the gang that escaped. Police arrived and picked up the bodies,” said a witness.

The incident is the latest in a series that have happened on the shops there amid calls by the local businessmen for a solution.

Last week, a CID officer was among eight suspects who were arrested after being linked a similar break in incident in Eastleigh in which property was stolen.

The suspects were questioned at the Pangani police station and freed on bond as police gather more evidence.

This was after more shops were raided and property stolen. The other suspects were civilians in Eastleigh.

Tenants of the malls there have been complaining of repeated attacks in which they lost property of unknown value.

Those affected said the value runs into millions of shillings.

The thieves target several kilos of gold. Two police officers were among suspects who were in August arrested over one such incident. They are facing charges in court.

Chairman of Eastleigh business community Ibrahim Hussein said several malls have been broken into in the area in the past six months.

“Police need to keep security tight here to tame such incidents where we lost property and cash valued at millions of shillings,” said Hussein.