Gunmen robbed of their Sh4.2m loot

By Cyrus Ombati

Three gunmen on Monday raided a private office within China Gardens in Nairobi's Runda estate and robbed a businessman of Sh4.2 million cash.

As they were escaping with the cash in foreign and local currencies, an alarm was raised alerting the public. A crowd gathered fom within the premises and turned on the gang beating them up.

Witnesses said one of the gunmen shot in the air to scare the crowd in vain. The gunman also shot and damaged a private security van that had reported to the scene.

Undeterred by the gunshots, the crowd charged at them and caught up with the two including the gunman and disarmed him.

Other witnesses said part of the crowd grabbed the cash as they roughed up the gang. It was in the process that the money mysteriously went missing, police say.

Nairobi Area deputy police boss Moses Ombati said Tuesday they are yet to know who escaped with loot.

"The victim says he was robbed the money but we are yet to know if the mob is responsible for the disappearance minutes later or one of the suspected thugs," said Ombati.

The office that was robbed also acts as a foreign currency exchange bureau. The robbery victim told police the gang ordered his workers to surrender the cash at gunpoint before escaping with it in bags.

Police believe the gang had prior information that the money had been delivered there before striking.

Detectives have questioned witnesses and the victim.

Elsewhere, two suspected thugs were shot dead and a gun recovered in a dramatic chase in Kitengela area.

The two were in the company of two others and had planned to attack a mobile phone shop in the area when detectives who had been tipped off started to trail them from Nairobi.

Police say the chase began in Ongata Rongai Township before ending in Kitengela where they were killed while two who were injured escaped.

Police recovered a pistol and five bullets.