A body of a middle-aged man has been recovered in a thicket in Jomoko area off Thika Super Highway with two bullet wounds.

Area residents say that the deceased was in the company of others on a motorbike and were escaping after snatching a handbag and a phone from a lady in Witeithie, Juja.

Nyumba Kumi chairperson Francis Njuguna says that officers from Witeithie Police Station who were on patrol chased and shot the deceased as his accomplices managed to escape.

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

He lauded the police officers for responding promptly to distress calls, calling on other security agencies to collaborate with community members in order to smoke out bad characters from the area.

Confirming the incident, Thika Sub-County Police Commander Lawrence Muchangi said they received the information from the members of the public who notified them of a shooting spree in the area thus proceeded to the scene and found a body of a young man lying.

The body of the deceased was moved to General Kago mortuary in Thika as investigations kicked off.