Police officers in Kitui gunned down a pastor who was found robbing a shop at Kavisuni market within the county.

According to the police report, the pastor, whose name has been withheld, was accompanied by a member of his church during the robbery incident.

“27/03/2024  It was reported by members of the public at about 2100 hrs that there was a robbery taking place at discovery stores within kavisuni shopping centre. 

“Officers from Kavisuni police post responded immediately. On arrival at the said stores they found two robbers whom they challenged to surrender, instead one of them drew a pistol and pointed towards the officers. 

“The officers acted swiftly and fatally injured one of the suspects while the other one escaped on foot with suspected gunshot injuries,” read part of the police report.

This was after the robbers had forcefully entered into discovery stores where they forced the watchman namely Paul Makau aged 47 years and the owner of the said stores, Athanus Muli aged 45 years to lie down, then robbed them off cash Ksh5,050 and two mobile phones make Infinix worth Ksh13,000.

In addition, they forced the store owner to give them his Mpesa pin, before they illegally transferred all his money. 

During the incident, police managed to recover cash Ksh5,050, a double edged sword, toy pistol, Techno mobile phone and a motorcycle of registration number KMGD118K.

The body of the robbery suspect was taken to Kitui Referral Hospital mortuary for autopsy and identification.

Officers from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) launched investigations after the robbery incident and later established that the suspect who was gunned down was a pastor at a local church in Kitui County.

Police further explained that the duo had presented themselves to the shop as police officers pretending to be on a mission to track stolen goods.

“They presented themselves as police officers from Kitui Police Station tracking stolen goods and demanded to check my stock. Once inside the shop they drew guns and ordered me and the night guard to lie down,” the shop attendant told the police.

Kitui County Director of Criminal Investigations (DCI) Samuel Bett said that the pastor has two churches and had lied to a friend that he was transporting church equipment while borrowing a motorbike.

Additionally, eyewitnesses told police that the suspected robber held a senior position at the church and was highly respected in the area.