Two suspected gangsters shot dead in Pangani

Two notorious gangsters linked to a number of violent crimes in and around Eastleigh area have been shot dead by police.

The pair was gunned down along Dr. Griffins Road after an alleged fierce gunfight with Starehe-based Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) detectives on Thursday night.

Prior to the fatal shoot-out, the duo, alongside two other thugs, is said to have robbed a middle-aged woman at gunpoint along Pangani’s Agoi road; dispossessing her of all her valuables before fleeing on motorcycles.

The victim reported the incident to Pangani Police Station, prompting the precinct to reach out to officers patrolling the area who immediately started scouring the streets in search of the thugs.

The detectives are said to encountered two of the four gangsters along Thika road before chasing them to Dr. Griffins Road.  Police claim that the two were ordered to surrender but did not comply, prompting a fierce exchange of fire.

“The two were fatally wounded and a black revolver loaded with 6 rounds of federal 38 special recovered,” the DCI said in a statement.

“The getaway motorbike a red boxer registration no KMFS 774G, whose plate numbers the detectives established are interchanged often to avoid detection, was also recovered.”

After conducting ballistic tests, the DCI’s National Forensic Laboratory linked the firearm, which is not commonly used by Kenyan criminals, to a spate of robberies around Eastleigh and its environs.

The DCI is now tracing the origin of the revolver, with all indications pointing at neighbouring Somalia as the point of origin.

Detectives have also not ruled out the possibility that the gun might have been smuggled into the country for other ulterior motives.

The woman’s valuables were recovered during the incident while a manhunt is currently underway for the two remaining gangsters.