Detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) have arrested seven suspected gang members linked to the fatal shooting of a police officer on patrol in Nakuru City on Sunday night.
Acting on intelligence, a team drawn from the DCI’s Operation Action Team and Crime Research Bureau joined their Nakuru counterparts in a coordinated raid that led to the suspects being flushed out of their hideouts.
Police noted that the gang had ramped up attacks in recent weeks, targeting residents using firearms and other crude weapons. The operation was launched following reports of growing insecurity in the area.
The arrests came just hours after the gang allegedly ambushed officers on the night of July 1, 2025, opening fire on a foot patrol team. One officer was killed on the spot, while two others were injured and remain hospitalised.
During the crackdown, detectives recovered an AK-47 rifle believed to have been used in the gang’s string of violent crimes, bringing a breakthrough in the case that had left Nakuru residents gripped by fear.
According to the police report, after interrogating the suspects, police proceeded to the Rhoda area of Nakuru, where the AK-47 serial number 18916 loaded with three rounds of ammunition was found concealed in dry grasses near a residential house.
Police revealed that the gang had separately staged an incident where they attacked a 24-year-old owner with machetes and daggers before stealing hundreds of thousands from his shop.
''The gang staged a violent robbery at a shop located in the Soilo area of Nakuru, attacking the 24-year-old owner with machetes and daggers before stealing hundreds of thousands from his shop. After the daring robbery, they dragged the already suppressed young man from the shop and shot him dead. Several other incidents have been reported across the County,'' the police report read in part.
DCI Nakuru East detectives are currently processing the suspects for arraignment tomorrow, Tuesday, June 3.
Meanwhile, the DCI has assured Nakuru residents—and Kenyans at large—that their security remains a top priority. The agency noted that several anti-robbery units have been deployed and are actively pursuing known armed gangs whose movements and operations have already been profiled.
The ongoing operations aim to end the reign of terror and flush out armed criminals from the streets.
Earlier during the officers' attack, attempts by the officers to subdue the attackers were unsuccessful, resulting in injuries during the confrontation.
