Three police officers pursuing a theft suspect in Nairobi’s Ngara area sustained burn injuries to their faces after being attacked by hostile residents on Monday.
The incident occurred when officers Tom Mbuku, Moses Lelei and Joyce Otieno were pursuing a suspect with suspicion of carrying stolen goods from Nairobi’s Central Business District (CBD) to Ngara Medical Centre, according to a police report.
The suspect is believed to have entered a facility and locking the door from the inside to prevent entry.
Police officers attempted to gain entry by knocking down the door as they demanded the suspect to surrender.
Shortly after, a woman named Mororoi, 45, emerged from the facility and sprayed the three officers with a substance believed to be acid.
A backup team was sent to the scene and quickly transported the officers, who sustained severe injuries to their faces and limbs, to Nairobi West Hospital.
In addition, four individuals inside the facility—Mwaura Karumba, 60, Beatrice Kamba, 36, Faith Mboga, 22, and Rose Gitau, 46, were arrested.
The report stated, “Five liters of suspected sulfuric acid and various drugs were recovered and kept as evidence.”
