Police in Thika, Kiambu County, rescued a student who was being attacked by a gang of three criminals who had pinned him down.
According to a police report, the victim only identified as Oti is a student at Thika Technical Institute and was attacked on his way to his rented house.
"Following the sudden attack, Onyi let out high-pitched screams of distress, Wuuuui! Wuuuui! Wezi! Nisaidieni! prompting a quick response from the officers of the law who spotted a young man subdued on the ground by three machete-wielding thugs.
"The trio was busy ransacking his pockets for his mobile phone and other valuables," police said in a statement.
The officers intervened by ordering the three to stop but their warnings fell on deaf ears as one of the thugs reached for his privates and attempted to draw a firearm.
"But before his hand could leave the ‘armoury’, a single shot was fired to immobilise him, sending him sprawling on the ground.
"Following the unexpected turn of events, the rest of the thugs jumped on their getaway motorbike parked nearby and as fate would have it, after two spirited kicks the bike’s engine failed to roar prompting the duo to scamper into darkness leaving their ill-fated bike behind," the statement added.
At the scene, Onyi’s phone was recovered from the suspect’s pockets, a sharp machete, and a homemade firearm.
The shaken victim was assisted on his feet by the officers who escorted him home following the traumatising incident, as the body of the thug who suffered a fatal injury was escorted to General Kago hospital mortuary pending identification and autopsy.
Meanwhile, the blue motorbike registration number KMDS 602K used by the miscreants, was impounded and is currently at Thika police station as investigations aimed at arresting the rest of the suspects ensue.
New IG of police
Speaking after his swearing-in on Friday, November 11, the new Inspector General of Police Japheth Koome promised to deal with increasing cases of mugging in major towns across the country.
At the same, the new police boss said police officers can be allowed to use excessive force when dealing with suspects.
"There are five instances in the Police Act, when the police officer or any other person's life is in danger, the police officer is justified to use the firearm.
"When protecting lives or property if it is eminent to danger or threat, the police can use a firearm. In the case of self-defence or defence of another life, they are allowed to use a firearm," he said.
His clarification comes as police officers are being accused of killing civilians in what has been termed as extra-judicial killings.
Koome during his vetting on November 8 also promised to deal with extra-judicial killings allegedly being perpetuated by police officers.
On mental issues of the officer, he said once approved he will form a directorate of wellbeing that will be chaired by a person whose ranks will be the level of Deputy IG, which will handle the wellbeing of officers following the rise of cases of officers dying by suicide.
The new police boss has served in the police service for the past 31 years, having been enlisted in the then Kenya Police Force in 1991 as a Police Constable.
This is after graduating from the University of Nairobi in 1990, with a Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering.
Koome developed passion for police work while he was still a student at Kagumo high school and it is while in form five that he would visit Kenya Police College – Kiganjo twice a week under a programme dubbed, Kenya Police Cadet Cops, to learn police work.
