By Antony Gitonga
NAIVASHA, KENYA: Business came to standstill in Kikopey trading center after police clashed with members of the public over the arrest of two robbery suspects.
The police had to fire in the air to disperse the crowd which was baying for the blood of the suspects who they accused of causing them sleepless nights.
During the incident, police managed to recover stolen property worth millions of shillings from a house in the busy trading center.
Among the recovered items were laptops, TV sets, tens of mobile phones, spare parts and other effects believed to have been obtained from motorists using the Nairobi-Nakuru highway.
The incident took place after police raided one of the house where they found the two suspects packing the goods.
According to witness Paul Kiarie in the last one month, a group of thugs had robbed area residents and motorists off their goods.
Kiarie said residents endured restless nights as the gang went from house to house carting away electronics and cash and injuring their victims.
“We are happy that police have managed to recover the goods but we wanted to lynch the suspects so that it can act as a lesson to others,” he said.
He called on the police to trace the other members of the gang who had been terrorizing area residents and arraign them in court.
Confirming the incident, Naivasha OCPD Charles Kortok said that the goods recovered had been stolen from the area.
“The crowd became hostile and the officers had to shoot in the area to disperse them as they wanted to lynch the two suspects,” he said.
The police boss called on members of the public who had lost their property to visit Nyama choma police post in Kikopey and help identify the items.
