Policeman shot dead and robbed of his pistol by suspected thugs in Kayole, Nairobi

A policeman was Tuesday morning shot dead and robbed of his gun in an attack in Kayole area, Nairobi.

The officer attached to Diplomatic police unit was walking to catch a matatu when was ambushed and shot in the head.

Witnesses said he was in his official uniforms when he was attacked. He was shot once in the head and fell on the roadside as other pedestrians scampered for their safety.

It was then that the gang of three who seemed to have been trailing him grabbed his Jericho pistol and escaped on foot.

He was rushed to the Mama Lucy Hospital where he succumbed to injuries, police said. Police say the officer was going to work at about 6.30am when the incident happened. A hunt was launched in the area but no arrest or recovery was made.

“A hunt on the killers is ongoing. They know well what they did,” said area police boss Joseph Gichangi.

This is the first policeman to be killed in Nairobi by gunmen in the same area. Police believe banned Gaza criminal gang is behind the shooting. Last year alone, the gang killed eight police officers and robbed them of their guns in separate incidents.

More than 80 suspects linked to the group were killed in police operations last year alone in separate incidents but police say they are regrouping. Apart from being involved in violent crime, the group is also in drug trafficking and other forms of criminality, police say.

And to deal with the gang’s menace, special social media sites have been formed to send messages to the gang members.

The sites are believed to be managed by police officers who are out to reach many youths in Dandora, Kayole, Huruma, Umoja and other places and who have ventured to crime.

On these sites, an administrator identified as Hessy wa Kayole, Hessy wa Dandora, Hessy wa Huruma and other places depending on the targeted place, usually issues warnings to suspected thugs on the loose and tell them their days are numbered.

Hessy, slang name for police is known in eastlands to be behind the war on armed crime.