A key suspect linked to the recent armed robbery at a popular restaurant in Spring Valley, Nairobi, has been killed during a shootout with detectives in Joska, Machakos County, as police intensified efforts to dismantle a criminal gang behind a string of violent robberies.
According to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), the suspect was tracked to a house in Joska Town, where he had reportedly taken refuge at his girlfriend’s residence.
Detectives from the DCI Headquarters, working alongside officers from DCI Matungulu, launched the operation after receiving intelligence on the suspect’s whereabouts.
Police said that after identifying themselves and ordering the occupants to open the door, the suspect allegedly opened fire through a kitchen window, forcing officers to return fire in self-defence.
Once the scene was secured, detectives entered the house and found the suspect fatally wounded.
During the operation, officers recovered a Beretta pistol fitted with a magazine loaded with four rounds of 9mm ammunition. They also seized additional live rounds, spent cartridges and three mobile phones believed to be relevant to the ongoing investigations.
The DCI said preliminary investigations have strongly linked the suspect to the recent daylight robbery along General Mathenge Road in Spring Valley, Westlands, where armed criminals stormed a popular restaurant, terrorised diners and stole mobile phones and other valuables before fleeing on motorcycles.
Investigators also believe the suspect was part of a wider criminal network responsible for a series of violent robberies across Nairobi, Kiambu and Machakos counties.
The recovered firearm has been forwarded to the National Police Service Forensic Laboratory (NPSFL) for ballistic analysis to establish whether it was used in other violent crimes.
Meanwhile, detectives have launched a manhunt for the suspect’s accomplices, who remain at large.
The DCI said it remains committed to dismantling violent criminal networks and ensuring all those involved in serious crimes are brought to justice.
