A 34-year-old man from Ndeiya, Kiambu County became one of the latest victims of marauding gangs in Nairobi and others parts of the country.
James Karanja, who until his death was a shop owner in Makutano Shopping Centre, was shot dead on Tuesday, November 15, by suspected robbers who fled on a motorcycle.
The suspected robbers were said to have been tracking Karanja who was in the process of preparing for a dowry ceremony for his wife.
He had just withdrawn Ksh300,000 from a bank, money meant to pay bride price for his wife in Nyahururu in a ceremony slated for Thursday, November 17.
Witnesses noted that sounds of gunshot rent the air prompting a response from the locals who rushed to the scene.
However, the robbers who were seemingly aptly prepared for the mission jumped on their get-away motorcycle before members of the public arrived at the scene.
The locals alerted the deceased’s brother who was nearby in his car waiting to proceed for an errand to Thika.
"Turn your car round! your brother has been shot and you must rush him to the hospital!” the brother recounted while speaking to Nation.
The victim, reportedly, was still breathing and when his brother arrived at the scene was rushed to a nearby hospital. He, however, succumbed to the injuries and blood loss.
“He was still gasping for air when we got to the hospital. The doctors quickly put him on the oxygen machine and inserted the IV tube to try to counter the massive fluid loss. Unfortunately, it did not work and he died,” the deceased's brother added.
The case in Kiambu was an extension of the series of robberies reported in different parts of the country. The escalating situation saw security chiefs and agencies adopt measures to weed out the criminals.
