Three robbers, including former policeman, shot dead in Nakuru

Three suspected robbers, including one suspected to be a former police officer, were on Friday shot dead by police in Nakuru County during a botched robbery.

Nakuru County Police Commander Hassan Barua said the three had planned to rob an Indian trader who was taking some cash to Njoro farm from Nakuru Town.

Mr Barua said police got a tip off from members of the public and launched the operation that saw two of the suspected gangsters shot dead outside Waterbuck hotel in industrial area and the third suspect killed inside a garage as he attempted to flee.

The police waylaid the robbers on the Nakuru-Eldoret highway as they tried to flee but when they were asked to stop they fired in the air prompting a fierce shootout.

An AK47 rifle, a Ceska pistol and several rounds of ammunition were recovered from the slain suspects.

Mr Barua added that the recovered Ceska pistol was positively identified as one that was stolen from one of Turkana Governor Josphat Nanok’s bodyguards in Nakuru Town three months ago.

Elsewhere, irked residents of Kagethia Village in Embu County on Friday  lynched a suspected cow thief and torched three house belonging to other suspects whom they had been trailing all night long following a distress call by one of the villagers.

“These thieves are known very well here in Kagethia. They break into people’s houses and shops. There are so many cases of robbery here in Kagethia, and even the suspect who was lynched had just been arrested the other day, but had been released on bond,” said a local resident, claiming they were ‘very happy’ that the thieves had been lynched.

They have called upon those who are yet to be arrested to take heed of their warning, as they will not be spared should they be caught.

Confirming the incident, Embu North OCPD James Karisa said that the suspects were in the process of stealing the livestock when the residents raised alarm.

“Two thieves ran away in a car, but one was lynched before the angry residents lynched their houses,” said Karisa, adding that it was very wrong for the residents to take the law into their own hands.

He said this was an impediment in the investigations of the case as the slain suspect was a potential key witness and could reveal the identities of his accomplices.

The body was moved to Embu Level Five mortuary.