Police in Nairobi’s Eastlands have arrested three young suspects after a fast-paced pursuit that began along Kangundo Road and ended in Dandora Phase Four, where officers recovered a firearm, ammunition, dozens of mobile phones and several electronic items believed to be linked to organised criminal activity.
The incident started near Saika stage when officers on patrol from the Kenya Police Service noticed a motorcycle carrying a rider and two passengers acting in a suspicious manner while moving along Kangundo Road.
Police say the group quickly changed direction and sped off into Saika Estate after realising they were being watched, triggering a chase through the busy neighbourhood streets.
Officers managed to intercept the motorcycle, but the two passengers jumped off and ran in different directions in an attempt to escape arrest.
During the pursuit, one of the suspects, identified as 19-year-old Shem Kariuki Ondieki, is said to have dropped an object as he ran. He was later arrested and officers returned to the scene to check what had been left behind.
“Lying on the ground was a Retay Falcon pistol loaded with 10 rounds of 9mm ammunition,” police said in a statement, describing the discovery as evidence the suspects “may have been on a far more dangerous mission than an ordinary boda boda ride”.
The rider of the motorcycle, identified as 19-year-old Emanuel Maina Kioi, was also arrested at the scene as the situation unfolded.
Detectives later continued with a search operation for the third suspect, Samwel Okoth Ochieng, who had managed to escape into nearby areas within Eastlands.
Police tracked him down to a house in Dandora Phase Four, where he was arrested during a raid.
Inside the house, officers recovered a Ceska pistol magazine loaded with 16 rounds of 9mm ammunition, 62 assorted mobile phones, various electronic items, a Mercedes-Benz ignition key and other items they described as incriminating evidence.
All three suspects are now being held at Kayole Police Station as detectives continue to investigate possible links to an organised criminal network operating within Nairobi’s Eastlands.