Armed robbers shoot and injure two people in Tharaka-Nithi

Two people from Kanoo village in Tharaka-Nithi County are receiving treatment at the Chogoria Mission Hospital after they were shot by three suspected robbers.

Maara CPD Johnston Kabusia told journalists that a 22-year-old boda boda rider Pius Mwenda was heading home from Katharaka market Thursday morning when men armed with guns and riding on a motorbike attacked him.

"The man stopped at a shop to buy cigarettes and the men who were following him from Katharaka market shot him in the buttocks leaving him with serious injury,” Mr Kabusia said.

According to the rider, the men alighted from their motorbike and proceeded to where he had parked, sat on his bike leading to some confrontation before one removed a pistol and shot him.

SHOT WOMAN

He added that the assailants went ahead and shot a woman, Susan Mwende, who had screamed after she heard the gunshots.

The 29-year-old woman was shot in her left hand before the criminals ran away.

According to a doctor at the hospital, the two are in a stable condition but the bullet in the woman's hand had not been removed by the time media visited the facility.

The OCPD said investigations had been launched and asked members of the public to volunteer information that may lead to arrest of the culprits.

He said cases of gun robbery had gone down over the last few months after they beefed security on the Chula-Meru road.

He said there was a gang of thieves from the area and others from neighbouring Meru County who are stealing motorbikes at gunpoint and recently killed another rider.

"We are aware of the syndicate and we have some suspects whom we are trailing,” he said