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A dramatic confrontation between detectives and a notorious armed gang in Matungu village, Kakamega County, ended with two suspected criminals fatally injured and the recovery of an AK-47 rifle loaded with 15 rounds of live ammunition.
The operation, spearheaded by the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) Headquarters, targeted a gang believed to be behind a series of violent crimes in Kakamega and neighbouring counties.
Acting on intelligence, officers from DCI's Operation Action Team and the Crime Research and Intelligence Bureau cordoned off a rental house early Wednesday that had been identified as the suspects’ hideout.
The suspects were ordered to surrender but instead engaged the officers in a gunfight, leading to their neutralisation.
According to the DCI, the duo refused to comply with orders, opting to open fire from within the house.
Following the shootout, detectives recovered the loaded firearm and a Bajaj motorcycle suspected to have been stolen during a recent violent robbery.
Police revealed that the motorcycle belongs to a police officer who is currently in a coma at a Kakamega hospital.
The officer was attacked by a machete-wielding gang in Butere township on November 12, 2024.
The bodies of the suspects, who are yet to be identified, were transferred to Bungoma County Referral Hospital mortuary for fingerprint analysis to establish their identities.
The recovered firearm and motorcycle have been secured as investigations continue into the gang’s criminal network.
Police have assured the public of heightened patrols and ongoing efforts to dismantle criminal groups in the area.