Storm over deaths of two suspects in Kigumo heist

Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) has launched investigations into an incident where two robbery suspects were shot dead by police officers in unclear circumstances in Murang’a on Sunday.

The IPOA chair Ann Makori said in their primary investigations they established the two deaths were a result of police action.

She said a rapid response team from Nairobi had been dispatched to beef up the central regional investigators.

“Upon conclusion of its investigations, the authority shall take up appropriate action including recommending to the Director of Public Prosecutions the prosecution of any person found culpable,” read part of the statement. 

The two are said to be part of a six-member gang which raided Unaitas Sacco Mununga branch in Kigumo, Murang’a County where they made away with an unknown amount of money.

Police said the two were shot dead following a shootout with the detectives but photos have since emerged showing the two subdued, and in handcuffs while being surrounded by armed police officers.

Preliminary investigations show the two could have been executed, putting the Directorate of Criminal Investigations on the spot. Reports indicate that detectives from the DCI Operations Support Unit (OSU) from Nairobi also took part in the joint operation.

Disbanded unit

OSU was formed after the Special Services Unit (SSU) was disbanded following allegations of extrajudicial killings.

According to Muranga police, the gang had first attacked the police officers manning the bank where they overpowered them and snatched a G3 rifle from one of them before making their way into the banking hall emptied the tills and later sped off with waiting motorcycles.

According to the police report, an operation to hunt down the suspects was launched almost immediately with the officers combing Kinyona Forest which is part of the expansive Aberdare Forest where the suspects were believed to have been hiding. The Saturday night search was futile but on Sunday morning, the officers spotted two men in civilian clothes armed with G3 and AK47 rifles and they were carrying a bag.

 Addressing the media on Sunday, the regional police commander Lydia Rugami said the suspects were ordered to stop but they defied the order instead they opened fire at the police officers and in the process they were fatally injured.

“The police recovered Sh1.13 million being part of the money believed to have been stolen from the Sacco on Saturday” she said. “Two guns which had been snatched from the police officers at different incidents were also retrieved. The AK 47 had 14 ammunition out of the 30 which it had been stolen with and G3 has 12 ammunition spent leaving only eight out of the 20 it initially had” added the regional police boss.

Rugami said two more suspects are on the run and they are being pursued by the police adding that they hope to recover the full amount stolen from the bank.

However, just after releasing a report that the two suspects had been shot dead in a fierce exchange, photos of the two handcuffed suspects started flowing online casting doubts on the accuracy of the police report in relation to the incident.

This raised the question whether the two were killed during the shootout or they were executed as it’s not clear how and when the suspects managed to free themselves  to engage the police in a shootout.