A suspected armed robber was gunned down at night on Sunday 28 January, in Dandora, Nairobi County while in the company of other suspects who managed to escape.
The man also suspected to be a rapist has been on the police's radar following numerous reports of illegal activities being committed in the area.
The police recovered a man-made gun, two cell phones, and a few bullets at the crime scene where his body lay in a pool of his own blood. The deceased was part of a notorious gang terrorising Dandora residents at night through a string of armed robberies and senseless killings.
Some of the gang members have in the past, been killed by an angry mob after stealing from a local. Another one was also gunned down in 2023.
Following the incident, the remaining members have been warned against engaging in criminal activities or else the same fate shall befall them.
Dandora residents also cautioned the youth against joining criminal gangs. They noted that a life in crime would only lead to death or jail.
Notably, Dandora is among the Nairobi estates with a rise in cases of young men joining illegal groups. The alarming number of criminal gangs is believed to be a result of unemployment.
One of the gangs from Dandora used a dumpsite as its hideout and storage point for their cache of guns and drugs. In a 2021 report conducted by the Global Initiative Against Transitional Organised Crime, the gang was exposed for hiding guns in piles of garbage. This made it harder to inspect or conduct any form of police intervention.
Besides the exchange of guns, they were also accused of soliciting money from anyone seeking to enter the dump site. These gangs are among the major issues facing garbage collection in the capital.
To lower the crime rate, former Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko introduced an initiative to help the youth secure jobs and get involved in cleaning the city.
He also offered incentives to police officers who apprehended criminals.
