Nakuru forms special police unit to fight deadly gangs
A man looks at the bullet-riddled car in which two suspected robbers were traveling before they were shot and killed in a fierce shootout with police at Naivas, on the Nakuru-Nairobi highway on April 27, 2016. A special police squad has been formed to tackle the new wave of violent robberies and killings in Nakuru Town and its environs. PHOTO | SULEIMAN MBATIAH | NATION MEDIA GROUP
What you need to know:
- In the past four months, Nakuru has experienced several killings — including that of an Egerton University lecturer, who was murdered and dumped in a car boot.
- The police boss revealed that police had mounted round-the-clock patrols in the town and its environs.
- In the Gilgil incident, irate residents of Mbaruk lynched a member of a four-man gang that had been terrorising them.
- Nakuru Town West MP Samuel Arama said the robbers were scaring away investors and should be dealt with.
A special police squad has been formed to tackle the new wave of violent robberies and killings in Nakuru Town and its environs.
In the past four months, Nakuru has experienced several killings, including that of an Egerton University lecturer, who was murdered and dumped in a car boot by unknown people on February 15.
Another incident that sparked a security scare among residents involved two traders whose mutilated bodies were found at City Mortuary, Nairobi, in January.
The squad, under County Police Commander Rashid Barua and the County Criminal Investigations Commander, will be responsible for tracking down murderous gangsters.
This comes as police gunned down two most wanted criminals on Thursday night in the State House area, on the Nakuru-Nairobi highway, as another gangster was lynched by a mob in Gilgil Sub-County on Friday evening.
“The situation is serious and we have to deal with criminal elements ruthlessly,” said Mr Barua.
ROUND-THE-CLOCK PATROLS
The police boss revealed that police had mounted round-the-clock patrols in the town and its environs and that any criminal activities would be nipped in the bud.
An AK-47 rifle with 10 rounds of ammunition, a shotgun, a toy pistol and a police pocket phone were seized in the Thursday incident.
Mr Barua said the two thugs were on a robbing spree and had been trailed from Njoro Town, where they had robbed a petrol station on Tuesday night.
“The vehicle they had used in the Njoro robbery was spotted in Nakuru Town and when police officers on patrol tried to stop them, they engaged them in a shootout,” said Mr Barua.
In the Gilgil incident, irate residents of Mbaruk lynched a member of a four-man gang that had been terrorising them.
The gang had reportedly invaded the village, riding on two motorcycles, but residents caught up with two of them, doused one in petrol and set him ablaze along with the motorbike.
The other was rescued by police officers and was taken to hospital.
Police trailed the other two members of the gang and shot one dead but the other fled.
Nakuru Town West MP Samuel Arama said the robbers were scaring away investors and should be dealt with.
