Detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) yesterday evening gunned down a notorious leader of a criminal gang that has been terrorizing residents of Starehe sub-county.
According to a Tuesday, December 7 statement, DCI says the thug only identified as Ngaruiya was the head of the infamous Katombi gang, known for operating with impunity across the Mathare valley and neighbouring estates.
Together with four of his accomplices, Ngaruiya had attacked a pedestrian at gunpoint and taken away his mobile phone and other valuables.
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"So brave was Ngaruiya and his Katombi mates one of whom was identified as Kabuda, that they staged the attack at 4 pm along Mau Mau road in Bondeni, Mathare sub-county," DCI said.
Detectives got wind of the attack and a contingent of crime busters drawn from DCI Starehe, was immediately mobilized. What followed was a serious manhunt for the miscreant gang.
The thugs who didn’t know that they were being trailed, continued with their brazen attacks against innocent civilians. After two hours at around 6am, the corporal in charge of the mission spotted the gang of five deep inside the informal settlement, adjacent to the river.
"A chase ensued as the detectives launched their assault against the gang members after they defied orders to stop. They ran in different directions as Ngaruiya fired at the fast approaching detectives," part of the statement from DCI read in part.
In a sight reminiscent of a distillery plant, women who were busy distilling local brews along the river took flight, leaving drums of boiling froth & jerrycans of the highly potent spirit unattended.
Ngaruiya who continued firing from his pistol was fatally wounded, dealing a heavy blow on the Katombi gang, that has terrorized Mathare locals for a period of time.
The other four thugs dived into the river infested with raw sewage and swam downstream to save their skin.
Detectives based at Starehe have issued the known thugs an ultimatum to surrender within 24 hours, failure to which they will suffer dire consequences.
