Police shot and injured a robbery suspect after a raid at a store in Soy, Uasin Gishu county, on Saturday night.
In a statement on Sunday, November 20, the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) said the suspect was part of a five-man machete-wielding gang that raided Sabugo gas cylinder store at around 2:00 am.
The incident was reported to the police on patrol by a neighbour who saw the gang break into the shop in the dead of the night.
"At around 2am, the officers on patrol got wind that Sabugo stores had been broken into by a gang of robbers who were about to make away with gas cylinders stocked in the store.
"The informant told the officers that his sleep had been rudely interrupted by terrific thuds of falling objects, which he initially thought were the usual sounds of scuffling hooves from his naughty bull," DCI said.
Upon arrival, police said, the officers ordered the robbers, who had locked themselves in the shop out, but they defied the orders forcing the police to push the door in an attempt to open it.
Apparently, the determined robbers pushed the door from inside in retaliation, prompting a push-and-pull contest that lasted for some minutes before the thugs were finally overpowered by the cops.
An altercation then ensued as the officers tried to arrest the suspects who were scattering from the shop into darkness.
In the ensuing melee, two of the suspects are said to have attacked the officers with machetes prompting one of the officers to open fire at the thugs and immobilized one of them.
"The rest of the thugs who were about five managed to escape as the officers escorted their injured accomplice to hospital," DCI said.
MACHETE WIELDING THUGS ON A ROBBERY MISSION REPULSED BY OFFICERS ON PATROL
Robbers who dared to attack police officers with machetes had a taste of their own medicine, after one of the officers opened fire and immobilized one of the robbers on the spot.— DCI KENYA (@DCI_Kenya) November 20, 2022
The injured suspect is currently admitted at the Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital (MTRH) under round-the-clock security as the manhunt for his accomplices continues.
Insecurity in Uasin Gishu
The latest comes amid an ongoing operation in Eldoret town following riots by hawkers that led to massive looting of business premises.
In viral videos shared on social media on Thursday, November 17, residents were filmed breaking into business premises including a supermarket as traders engaged Uasin Gishu county askaris in running battles.
At least 40 people have been arrested in an ongoing crackdown to arrest the looters.
“We will have to bring sanity to this town and therefore we are determined to deal with the gangs as per the law and also bring to book those involved in the looting," County commissioner Dr Edisson Nyale, who is leading the security operation, warned.
