It was a classical case of the hunter becoming the hunted after a 55-year-old man snatched a firearm from a robber who had attacked him and made away with his hard day’s labour of Sh 200.
Irungu Mwangi shocked Chaka market residents with his sheer display of bravado, after wrestling down the assailant and snatching the firearm from him in a life-threatening situation.
A report by DCI boss George Kinoti indicates that Irungu was walking home at around 8 pm last night and on reaching Chaka primary school, was accosted by a lone gunman.
He pointed an AK-47 assault rifle to his chest and ordered him to lie down without hesitation.
Irungu obliged and when the thug demanded money, he fished out the only Sh200 note that he had and handed it to him.
The thug demanded more money as Irungu pleaded for his life, saying that that’s all he had remaining from his day’s work.
Unconvinced, the thug bent forward and began ransacking Irungu’s pockets. He stepped on his back with one foot and placed the firearm on the ground, to have unfettered access to all of Irungu’s pockets.
"What a terrible miscalculation from the thug who seconds later was fighting to regain control of the firearm from Irungu, as the prey turned out to be the predator," DCI said.
"Irungu shoved the assailant to the ground and grabbed the firearm, leading to a brief scuffle as the thug tried to regain control of the firearm."
The 55-year-old man held the firearm tightly at the pistol grip and the hand guard, giving the thug little chance of regaining the assault rifle.
"Luckily for him, Irungu didn’t understand the working mechanism of the firearm and as he fumbled with how to chamber a round and fire, the attacker disappeared into the darkness," DCI added.
When police officers arrived, it was established that the firearm, serial number AK47 S/No. KP 4915512 with a magazine loaded with 15 rounds of 7.62mm special, was stolen from Nairutia police station in Kieni West Sub-county, on April 15, 2022, and reported vide OB 05/18/04/2022 at the same station.
Also recovered at the scene of the scuffle was a police beret belonging to the Administration Police Service.
"Irungu, who thanked God for saving his life, attributed his bravery to living close to the nearby National Police College Main Campus-Kiganjo, where out of curiosity he had twice peeked through the thick Kei Apple (Kaiyaba) hedgerow, as trainees undertook their musketry and martial arts lessons in the region’s premier police training college."
A manhunt for the suspect has been launched.
