Two more suspects linked to a brazen dawn attack on a female motorist in Ongata Rongai, Kajiado County have been arrested and crucial exhibits, including a gun and cash, recovered.

The arrest brings to five, the total number of suspects so far arrested in connection to the robbery.

National Police Service spokesperson Bruno Shioso on Wednesday said detectives also recovered a Browning pistol, some money and clothes worn by the suspects during the robbery.

“Following the attack, police mobilised in real-time, and continue to conduct an in-depth investigation into the heinous crime. In due course of the investigation, detectives recovered one pistol,” Shioso said.

“The dragnet is being widened to nab more suspects still on the run. Police are committed to bring them to book,” he added.

Arrested are Jane Achieng Ochieng, 21, and her husband John Ochieng Oranja, 21, both residents of Kibera’s Bombolulu area.

Detectives said the money stolen from the victims were shared in their house and Achieng was found with part of the loot.

Scene revisited

Robert Irungu Kimani, 24, was found in possession of the pistol at his home in Kware, Ongata Rongai.  The pistol, which did not have a magazine, was found hidden inside a charcoal jiko which was at a corner in the house.

Detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) traced two of the suspects to a hideout in Kawangware, and who upon interrogation, confessed that they were at the scene of the robbery.

The head of the gang and three other suspects are, however, yet to be arrested.

Detectives from the DCI’s Special Services Unit have revisited the scene and other scenes where similar robberies have been committed in the recent past. “Our detectives have recorded statements from all the victims and gone through those recorded earlier. Various experts from the DCI headquarters have also analysed the information given, the exhibits collected, the CCTV footage and noted the weapons used,” a senior detective told People Daily.

Ex-police officer

The area has also conducted geolocations, mapped the area to establish the crime pattern, and also established the modus operandi of the robbers.

The AK47-wielding gang was captured on CCTV robbing a female motorist at the gate of her home on Sunday morning. Detectives have since established that they had committed two other robberies in the neighbourhood just before they attacked the woman.

The CCTV footage shows the woman drove in a Mercedes Benz E350 registration number KDG 008 at about 2:21am to the heavily fortified residence.

A preliminary report by detectives from the DCI has revealed that the robberies reported in the area are linked to one particular gang that comprises a former police officer.

A suspect identified as Julius Mulwa has been arrested on suspicion that he was sent by the gang to withdraw Sh240,000 from an M-pesa agent in Mwiki, Kasarani. Mulwa, together with the M-Pesa agent were taken to court on a miscellaneous application to allow the detectives finalise investigations.

On Tuesday, forensic detectives and those from the DCI spent the whole day at the house, extracting CCTV footage and recording statements from the people who were present during the robbery.

The victim’s husband, Geofrey Otieno, an engineer had travelled out of Nairobi when the robbery happened.

Apart from extracting CCTV footage, the detectives questioned the victim and house help for the second time to understand the circumstances of the robbery. The victim’s neighbours were also questioned.

According to the police, among the things which were stolen during the robbery were the woman’s hand bag, bank ATMs, some money, jewelry and electronic items picked in full glare of cameras.

A neighbour, Nancy Njoki, told People Daily that gun toting robbers have been attacking homesteads almost daily.

The Inspector General of Police Hillary Mutyambai has ordered a crackdown in environs of Ongata Rongai targeting organised criminal gangs.

“The public is equally requested to cooperate with the police and share valuable information towards this end,” Shioso said.

Detectives are also investigating a case in which a man was shot dead in Kilimani while an M-Pesa agent left seriously injured when armed gunmen attacked her shop at Woodley Market on Rangiri Road. Police officers rushed to the scene following a gunshot and established that Sophia Maina, aged 45, was closing her M-Pesa shop when she was accosted by three armed men.

She tried to block one of them from entering the shop but he withdrew a pistol and shot her in the right upper arm.

Members of the public responded and attempted to arrest the thugs but one of them started shooting indiscriminately. As a result, one person was shot in the head.