Four suspected gangsters were shot dead in Eldoret following a dramatic police operation along the Eldoret–Kiplombe–Soy Road, in an intelligence-led ambush targeting a group accused of terrorising motorists in the area.
The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) confirmed the incident in a statement released on July 6, saying officers from the Operation Action Team, working with local police, acted on credible information from members of the public before setting up the ambush.
According to the DCI, the suspects were believed to have been posing as police officers while carrying out violent robberies along the busy road.
“Four armed gangsters were fatally shot and a loaded Falcon pistol recovered after the suspects engaged detectives in a fierce gun battle during an intelligence-led operation along the Eldoret-Kiplombe-Soy Road,” the statement read.
The operation unfolded after detectives positioned themselves strategically following tip-offs about the gang’s movements. When the suspects arrived at the scene, they allegedly walked into the trap and opened fire upon noticing law enforcement officers.
A fierce exchange of gunfire followed, leaving four suspects fatally injured. Two other accomplices reportedly escaped on motorcycles towards Eldoret town during the chaos.
Police recovered a loaded Falcon pistol with six rounds of ammunition, a homemade firearm, and one spent cartridge from the scene. Investigators also found tools believed to have been used in criminal activities, including a hammer, ropes, gloves, balaclavas, and housebreaking implements.
Authorities believe the gang had been operating since late last year, targeting motorists across the Rift Valley while impersonating security officers to gain the trust of unsuspecting victims. The suspects were reportedly also armed with an AK-47 rifle and other weapons used during their attacks.
The bodies of the four deceased suspects were taken to the Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital Mortuary pending identification and post-mortem examinations.
Investigators are also examining whether the gang is linked to several violent robberies in the region, including an attack at Gathioro Police Station where a PCEA reverend was killed. The recovered firearm has been forwarded for ballistic analysis at the National Police Service forensic laboratory.
“Investigators are also analysing forensic and other evidence to establish the gang's involvement in a robbery with violence incident reported at Gathioro Police Station, during which a PCEA reverend was murdered,” the DCI added.
The slain cleric, Reverend Julius Ngari Ndumia of the Presbyterian Church of East Africa (PCEA) Tabuga Parish, was killed in May inside his residence in Lanet, Nakuru County, in a case that has since drawn widespread attention.