By Phyllis Mwende
A police-led crackdown in Nakuru County has resulted in the arrest of five armed gang members linked to a series of violent robberies and the recovery of a killer AK-47 rifle.
Detectives from the DCI’s Operation Action Team and Crime Research Bureau, in collaboration with Nakuru officers, launched a coordinated raid that flushed out the gang from multiple hideouts.
According to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) the operation followed days of tracking the suspects through intelligence leads.
Following interrogations, officers recovered an AK-47 rifle, serial number 18916, loaded with three rounds of ammunition.
The weapon was discovered hidden in dry grass near a residential home in Rhoda, Nakuru.
“The gang goes down leaving behind a trail of sad memories and untold pain to the victims of their violent attacks,” the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) noted.
The gang was linked to several violent incidents, including a fatal ambush on June 1, 2025, where one police officer was killed and two others were injured during a patrol. The injured officers are still undergoing treatment.
In another horrifying attack, the suspects stormed a shop in Soilo area, robbed the owner of hundreds of thousands, then dragged the 24-year-old victim outside and shot him dead after stabbing him with daggers and machetes.
The suspects were identified as William Nywhili Rioba, Nyahili Nyamuhaga Magige, Emmanuel Muita Muita, Catherine Nkatha Zakayo and Peter Chacha. They are set to be arraigned on Tuesday, June 3.
“The safety of Kenyans remains our top priority,” the DCI reaffirmed, adding that specialized anti-robbery units had been deployed to neutralize armed gangs in the region.
The police pledged to sustain these operations until streets are rid of dangerous criminals terrorizing innocent citizens.