Four university students were on the night of Saturday, February 11, arrested after being accused of carrying out a spate of robberies in the Ruai, Juja and Kayole areas.
In a statement, the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) revealed that an undercover police unit based at Makadara arrested the students after getting intelligence reports.
“Detectives are interrogating four university students believed to be part of a gang behind incidents of violent robberies in Ruai, Juja, Kayole and surrounding areas.
"This is after an undercover team of police officers based at Makadara, Ruai, Embakasi and Kayole last evening in a joint operation arrested a 19-year-old Kenyatta University student following an intelligence lead that he was part of a dangerous criminal gang,” read part of the statement.
According to the DCI, the suspect led the officers to his 3 accomplices who were fellow freshers, living in Juja’s container area.
Three of the suspects were pursuing a degree course in Development Studies at the Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT).
After a thorough search of their premises, the officers recovered an imitation of a Glock pistol, 8 used 9×19mm special cartridges, one empty pistol magazine, one white plastic face mask, and 2 laptops.
The police believed that the recovered properties had been stolen alongside other goods.
The scene of the crime was then processed by DCI detectives based in Thika and the suspects were escorted to Juja Police Station pending further interrogation and arraignment in court.
The arrest accentuates Interior Cabinet Secretary Kithure Kindiki's all-out crackdown on gangs of muggers and other violent crimes.
Kindiki reiterated that the government was determined to restore public safety and vowed to eliminate the criminal gangs.
"Those boys who have dared the government and want to tell us that they can take over the city and make it a centre of crime, we’ve heard also heard you and therefore we are coming effective immediately,” affirmed the CS.
