Suspect killed in botched robbery along Southern Bypass, Nairobi

A suspected thug was Monday night shot dead and three others injured in a botched robbery along the Southern Bypass, Nairobi.

Police say the men were attacking and robbing motorists when an alarm was raised alerting officers on patrol there.

Police have appealed to hospitals in and near Kibera to report anyone who goes there to seek attention with bullet wounds. The injured men escaped on foot into Kibera slums, Nairobi police boss Joseph ole Tito said.

Two other suspected thugs had earlier on in the morning been shot dead by police in a botched robbery incident in Mlango Kubwa area, Nairobi.

The suspects had been attacking and robbing pedestrians in the area when an alarm was raised.

This alerted police who were on patrol who rushed to the scene and shot dead two.

Police say the suspects were mugging pedestrians at about 5 am when the incident happened. The bodies were moved to the mortuary. Police said they recovered crude weapons and some of the stolen property from the men.

Nairobi police boss Joseph Ole Tito said other accomplices managed to escape on foot. He added locals had called police saying a gang was attacking and robbing them.

Police have killed more than 15 suspects in the past week alone. Most of the victims were killed in Dandora area and they are all young aged between 18 and 23.

There has been a concern on the number of youth being killed in the area. Five of those killed were linked to a gang that had allegedly shot dead a police officer in a matatu in a hijacking incident along Thika Road, Nairobi on April 28. The weapon that was stolen from corporal Martin Korir was recovered from the slain suspects, police said.

Dandora is taken to be one of the dangerous places in the city.

Police say they have recovered up to seven guns from the slain men in the period and warned youths against being engaged in crime.

“Most of these victims are young men who can be engaged in other productive activities elsewhere. Let them know crime does not pay,” said Tito.

Tito added they have enhanced police patrols in the city to address some of the challenges especially in informal settlement areas.