Suspected thug shot dead, two policemen wounded in Nairobi robbery

NAIROBI: Two police officers were Sunday night shot and seriously wounded in a robbery incident in Mukuru slums, Nairobi.

The officers however shot and killed one of the attackers after a chase and recovered a Ceska pistol from him.

Police say the deceased gunman was part of a gang that had raided an Mpesa shop and robbed unknown amount of money prompting a chase at about 6 pm.

The chase ended in Mukuru slums where the officers were shot by one of the gunmen who had taken a refugee in a makeshift, police said.

According to police, the officers were shot in the stomach and shoulder and that they are stable in a Nairobi hospital.

Nairobi police boss Benson Kibue said the other suspects managed to escape on foot with the loot.

“The other gunmen escaped into darkness but one of them was killed and a Ceska pistol with six bullets found on him,” said Kibue.

He added a hunt on the accomplices is ongoing and urged local residents to inform police of their presence. Kibue said they are yet to know the amount that was robbed from the shop.

Cases of armed robberies are on the rise and police are struggling to contain them. Most thugs use illegal guns to terrorise the residents.

Police say some of the guns are robbed from licensed gun holders while others are leased out by both police and the holders at a fee. There are 6,000 licensed gun holders in the country. A new punitive law on those who misuse the weapons is in place.