Police in Nairobi on Saturday shot dead one suspected robber and launched a manhunt for two others following a violent confrontation along Wangari Maathai Road.
In a statement by the Directorate of Criminal Investigations, the suspects, reportedly armed with a pistol and crude weapons, had been robbing members of the public in the Makaburini area before attacking officers on patrol, prompting a shootout in which one was killed and two escaped with injuries.
According to police, the incident occurred at about 5:50 pm on Saturday as officers from the Nairobi North Sub-Region were conducting a routine foot patrol near the busy Jubilee Flyover.
They had received “credible information from a vigilant member of the public” indicating that three armed criminals were actively targeting unsuspecting victims in the area.
“Acting with speed and tactical discipline, the officers moved in discreetly, blending into the civilian flow,” the statement read.
Moments later, the three suspects reportedly emerged from nearby bushland and launched a sudden attack on one of the officers. Police said the lead attacker “drew and levelled a pistol, posing an immediate threat to life,” prompting officers to respond.
“In lawful self-defence and protection of the public, the officers opened fire,” the statement added, confirming that one suspect was fatally shot at the scene while the other two, believed to have sustained gunshot wounds, fled into nearby undergrowth.
A search at the scene led to the recovery of a Blow Mini 9 pistol, a magazine with two rounds of 9mm ammunition, one round chambered, and two additional rounds found in the deceased suspect’s pocket.
Officers from Starehe and Gigiri sub-counties, alongside Scenes of Crime personnel, processed the scene before the body was moved to the City Mortuary pending identification and post-mortem.
The Directorate of Criminal Investigations said it is pursuing the two injured suspects and urged the public to share any information, assuring anonymity.