A suspected gangster was shot dead after a group of armed men exchanged fire with detectives along the Koma-Kenol Highway in Matungulu, Machakos County.
The Friday, August 14 incident happened in the Mashokani area after detectives moved to intercept the suspects following intelligence linking them to criminal activities.
According to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), the suspects were travelling in a Toyota Harrier when detectives flagged down the vehicle.
The suspects, however, allegedly refused to surrender and instead opened fire at the officers, forcing detectives to respond.
One of the suspects, who was armed with an AK-47 rifle, was fatally wounded during the shootout.
A second suspect, armed with a pistol, managed to escape and detectives have since launched a manhunt for him.
The DCI said officers recovered an AK-47 rifle loaded with 11 rounds of ammunition from the deceased suspect.
Preliminary investigations indicate that the firearm may have been stolen from a police officer during a robbery in Mavoko in November 2025.
The officer was reportedly guarding a house in Athi River when three armed men attacked him and escaped with his AK-47, which at the time had 30 rounds of ammunition.
The attackers also took the officer’s mobile phone before fleeing the scene.
Detectives later searched the Toyota Harrier and recovered eight mobile phones, four balaclavas, crowbars and torches.
The evidence collected has been used during investigations in order to determine whether the suspects committed other robbery cases in the region.
Officers from the Crime Scene Investigation unit conducted the investigation at the scene on the highway as evidence was collected from the vehicle and the scene of the shootout.
The body of the suspect was later transported to the mortuary in Kangundo Level 4 Hospital for autopsy.
Detectives are stepping up efforts to trace the escaped suspect as well as the criminal activities of the gang.
The DCI stated that investigations of the alleged criminal syndicate are still underway.
