Four suspected gangsters shot dead in Nairobi

Four suspected thugs were on Saturday night shot dead by police in separate incidents in Nairobi.

Police said they recovered three homemade guns from the suspects and were looking for more who escaped on foot.

Three of the suspects aged between 19 and 24 were killed by police in Shauri Moyo estate in a botched robbery and three homemade guns found on them.

Police said the three and others who escaped were attacking and robbing residents when the alarm was raised.

"Officers on patrol responded and killed three on the spot while the rest escaped. Many people had been attacked and mugged in the area," said an officer who was at the scene.

The fourth suspect was shot dead in Soweto estate in a rape attempt, police said yesterday.

Four men tried to rape a woman at about 9pm on Saturday but she screamed for help and alerted police officers who were nearby, police said.

The suspect's accomplices escaped on foot. Cases of rape are on the rise in informal settlements despite campaigns and punitive measures put in place to address the crime. Police say statistics show that at least one woman is raped in Nairobi every week.

Elsewhere, a businessman was robbed of Sh4 million at the parking bay of a bar in Westlands, Nairobi.

Prior information

The victim, a transporter, told police he was waiting for drivers of his lorries outside Njuguna's Bar on Waiyaki Way when he was attacked.

The gang of four is said to have shot in the air before they confronted the victim on Saturday evening and grabbed the cash that was in a briefcase in his car.

The gang sped off in a waiting car and no arrest has been made so far, police said.

Police believe the gang had prior information on the money, and they are investigating.

In yet another incident in Soweto estate, Kayole, a motorist was robbed of Sh24,000 at gunpoint by thugs who escaped on foot. The victim told police he had parked his car and was going shopping when he was attacked on Saturday. No arrests have been made.

Police have warned crime is likely to soar ahead of the Christmas period. The officers called for co-operation whenever gunmen strike to avoid deaths and injuries

Meanwhile, prison officers have been deployed in major streets in urban centres to help police enforce the law. The officers will have powers to arrest suspects as the war against crime intensifies.