Two suspected gangsters have been shot dead during a violent robbery at Kibirigwi market in Kirinyaga County.
However, four of their accomplices managed to escape with bullet wounds with the police in hot pursuit.
The thugs raided a petrol station at 4am where they robbed attendants of Sh17,000 at gunpoint.
After robbing the attendants, they proceeded to the nearby Fortune Sacco bank where they attacked night guards and tied them with ropes.
They then broke into the bank in a bid to steal money but officers on night patrol got wind of what was happening and rushed to the scene.
The officers confronted the gangsters and ordered them to surrender but they defied and started shooting.
Sensing danger, the officers engaged the gangsters in a fierce shooting battle and gunned down two of them but the rest jumped into a vehicle believed to have been stolen elsewhere and fled towards Karatina.
LOUD GUNSHOTS
Residents said they were asleep when they heard loud gunshots and woke up.
“I was in bed when I heard gunshots and walked out in shock. I ran to the scene only to find the suspects lying dead,” said Mr James Wachira.
A night guard, Mr Philip Macharia, said he was on duty together with his colleagues when the gangsters appeared and identified themselves as police officers who wanted to enter into the bank to carry out some investigations.
“Minutes later I realised they were criminals when they attacked us,” said Mr Macharia.
The residents said the gunshots which left everyone shocked were heard three kilometres away from the scene.
Another resident, Mary Wanjiku, said she was terrified when she heard loud gunshots. I woke up a worried person but due to fear I did not get out of my house. Later, I learnt that there was a fight between the gangsters and the police,” said Ms Wanjiku.
County Police Commander David Kirui said that his officers swung into action immediately they were informed that gangsters had raided the market.
“The officers were on a regular night patrol of the area when they were tipped that gangsters were committing crimes. They hurried to the scene and caught the gangsters red handed in the bank and fought them,” he said.
Mr Kirui said the gangsters had earlier robbed the petrol station attendants of cash but in the bank they only managed to steal computers.
“They were caught before stealing cash from the bank and two of them killed. The others who fled are being pursued,” said Mr Kirui.
