Thika: Machete-wielding gangster shot dead, one arrested as police recover stolen items

Police in Thika town have shot dead a machete-wielding gangster and mobile phones suspected to have been stolen from victims recovered.

The deceased was part of a three-man gang attacking residents along Cascade Premier Prison Road.

A report by the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) indicates that the gangster was shot close to the jugular as he attempted to fend off the response by the officers.

"His efforts came to naught when one of the officers opened fire in self defense, sending the thug sprawling on the ground metres away," DCI reports.

Upon seeing the colleague has been shot, the other machete-wielding gangsters ran for their lives as the police officers gave a chase.

"Fortunately, one of the robbers was arrested while his accomplice disappeared in a storm water culvert. A numberless motorbike used by the thugs was impounded alongside two machetes, a homemade firearm and mobile phones suspected to have been snatched from innocent victims," the DCI says.

The items shall be used as exhibit against the arrested suspects.

Meanwhile, DCI has urged members of public to continue partnering with police for their safety and security.