Residents of Nakuru are calling for urgent government intervention following the tragic shooting of 24-year-old trader Elias Mwambili during a robbery.
The trader was shot in the abdomen during the robbery and succumbed to his injuries while being rushed to hospital.
Sadly, following the ordeal, Mwambili became the fourth fatality in a two-week spate of similar incidents.
Witnesses say three armed men stormed Mwambili’s shop around 8PM, violently assaulting him before one of them fired the fatal shot.
"It was around 8PM when I heard a commotion and when I opened the door I saw two robbers inside the shop beating up Mwambili before pulling him out and continuing beating him. After a while we had a gunshot and the victim stopped screaming," said Monicah Njeri, a nearby resident.
Read More
Another eyewitness, Tom Mboya, added, "Two of them had machetes which they use to assault him. When they came out, the last person amongst them had a gun; from what we learned it was an AK47 and he shot the guy. From there they walked away and there was already a waiting motorbike."
According to reports, the assailants made off with at least Ksh200,000.
Residents believe the incident mirrors at least four other recent robberies across Nakuru, pointing to a concerning trend that many fear is the work of the same criminal gang.
The police are yet to arrest any of the suspects, who are believed to be behind a string of similar attacks.
The increasing frequency and brutality of these crimes have left residents feeling vulnerable and angry.
“Our government which we really love and we elected so that they help us should improve security in this area. Security officers should be around so that even if someone is accosted, they can scream and get help immediately,” pleaded Stiverlence Akoyo, a local resident.
Nakuru County Commissioner Loyford Kibaara confirmed that a crackdown has been launched following the series of attacks.
