Probe on ex-cop who led gang into car, house raid

The armed gang that attacked a female motorist at the gate of her residence on Sunday morning is led by a former rogue police officer.

The AK47 rifle-wielding group was captured by CCTV cameras as they attacked the woman, who was driving into her Rongai residence in Kajiado county on Sunday morning.

They then stole money from her and her phone, which they later withdrew at an agent within Mwiki in neighbouring Nairobi county.

By yesterday evening, detectives had profiled at least four of the thugs and were hunting them down. In the 2 am incident captured in a video that has since gone viral, two of the thugs are seen wielding pistols, another an AK47, and the other a machete that he used to break the window of the car.

Ransacked house

One of the thugs, who was wearing a balaclava, is seen using the pistol to break the driver’s window and pull the woman out. The thugs then frogmarched her into her house which they ransacked for valuables.

In another video, one of the thugs is seen disconnecting a sound bar speaker as another walks out of another room.

Following the attack, Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i yesterday visited the area accompanied by the Inspector General of Police, Hillary Mutyambai, and the head of the DCI’s Special Services Unit (SSU) Pius Gitari.

They assured the locals that necessary action would be taken. The visit was a fact-finding mission on security matters. Matiang’i directed the construction of Kandisi Police Post to begin immediately and be upgraded to a police station later.

A special team of detectives from SSU have been deployed to the area to work with their local counterparts. Gitari, a Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) will oversee security operations in the area.

To get a clearer picture of the security situation in the area, the CS directed that all criminal activities reported in Occurrence Books (OBs) to be compiled and forwarded to his office by this evening.

“Entertainment joints and restaurants should not operate between Kandisi and Rimpa stage, as it’s a purely residential area, hosting various senior government officials,” the brief to police officers read.

A special team is expected to visit the scene today to analyse the CCTV footage, even as the CS urged locals to volunteer information to security officers.

Ngong Sub-County Police Commander Mecha Mogeni said they had crucial leads on the attack, especially on the perpetrators.

“We have launched investigations and we have very crucial leads on who the perpetrators are. Give us time so that we catch them and use it as an example,” he said.

No one injured

The OCPD said the thugs took away valuable household items but no one was injured.

“Various goods were stolen but no injuries were reported,” he added.

Residents have in the past complained of rising cases of insecurity and urged the police to act. Yesterday, detectives arrested two suspects in connection with the robbery.

The first suspect was arrested in Kasarani where he had withdrawn a total of Sh240,000 from the victim’s account at a shop in Mwiki, Kasarani.

The M-Pesa agent from where the cash was withdrawn was also arrested and is being interrogated. The leader of the gang is believed to be a former police officer.