Uasin Gishu Security Agencies Arrest Three Suspects, Recover AK-47 After Fatal Robbery
Police further revealed that one of the arrested suspects is a convicted criminal who had served a jail sentence for robbery, and they are alleged to have reformed and engaged the gang after release.
County Police Commander Benjamin Mwanthi. Photo/Achieng kemuma
By Rahab Gati
Security agencies in Uasin Gishu County managed to arrest three suspects in connection with the recovery of an AK-47 rifle after a fatal robbery incident that left a county government employee dead last week.
Addressing the media at a joint security briefing with the County Commissioner Dr, Edison Nyale, it was indicated that the arrests were undertaken through a swift multi-agency operation involving the National Police Service, Directorate of Criminal Investigations and boda boda fraternity.
The suspects were believed to form part of a widespread armed gang that had been terrorizing local residents in a couple sub-counties with a firearm that authorities say had been circulating in several regions and committing a crime in other places.
The County Police Commander Benjamin Mwanthi claims that the gang operated using motorcycles and would normally carry three to four people on one motorcycle. A public outcry broadcast via boda boda familiar associations was critical in the identification and tracking of the perpetrator, which helped in their arrest.
Police confirmed that the recovered AK-47 rifle had 10 rounds of ammunition loaded and was fully serviceable. The firearm is expected to undergo ballistic and forensic investigations for links to any previously recorded crime scenes. Investigations suggest that the weapon may have been part of a series of robberies reported across projects in Moiben, Kapseret, Ainabkoi, Kesses and Turbo sub-counties.
Police further revealed that one of the arrested suspects is a convicted criminal who had served a jail sentence for robbery and they are alleged to have reformed and engaged the gang after release.
Security officials rebuffed allegations to the effect that police couldn’t respond to the distress call because of jurisdictional boundaries when they spoke to journalists. According to him, there are no jurisdictions for police officers when it comes to saving lives and preventing crime, while any allegations of negligence would receive thorough investigations.
In further developments, the country security team announced that it would move into high gears in terms of a crackdown on second-generation illicit alcohol, chang’aa, bhang, and other narcotics. In one week alone, police have arrested 96 suspects, seized hundreds of liters of illicit brews, confiscated 379 bottles of second-generation alcohol, and destroyed large quantities of bhang.
Security agencies have also issued a stern warning against blockade on the Eldoret-Malaba highway, describing such actions as economic sabotage. The residents were encouraged to follow the proper administrative offices in airing grievances rather than disrupting traffic.
The County Commissioner reiterated the government in charge of the issue of peace and security, especially with the reopening of universities, as students return to campus. Alcohol sellers were warned against unlicensed or illicit products.
Security agencies called on the entire community whose residents had fallen victim to the gang to report to the nearest police station to bolster the case as investigations go on, tracing and arresting more accomplices.
This move, according to authorities, sends a clear message that criminal gangs, illicit alcohol, and insecurity have no place in Uasin Gishu County in 2026.
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