Man shot dead after snatching woman's handbag, phone on Thika Super Highway

According to the area  residents,  led by Francis Njuguna, Nyumba Kumi chairman, the deceased was in the company of others on a motorbike and were allegedly escaping after snatching a handbag and a phone from a lady in the Witeithie area of Juja. 

Witnesses say that officers who were on patrol chased and shot the deceased as his accomplices managed to escape.

Njuguna said cases of theft on the busy superhighway are alarming, with the young men hiding in the culverts after stealing from unsuspecting members of the public.

He said that the police officers were doing their job well and called on other security agencies to collaborate with community members to smoke out bad characters from the area.

Confirming the incident, Thika Sub-county police commander Lawrence Muchangi said they received the information from members of the public who notified them of a shooting in the area, where they proceeded to the scene and found the body of a young man in the thickets. 

The police boss said preliminary investigations indicate the deceased had allegedly snatched a handbag and a phone from a lady along the busy highway. 

He was gunned down as he attempted to escape the crime scene. 

The body of the deceased was moved to General Kago mortuary Thika as investigations continue.