Hawker engaged in gun drama in Eastleigh arrested

A hawker who is licensed to hold a gun was involved in a shooting drama in Nairobi’s Eastleigh area.

The hawker identified as Samuel Muraguri was later arrested and disarmed following the Tuesday April 15 night incident at Yare House on 12th Street, police said.

A four-wheel drive car belonging to the gun holder was pelted with stones and seriously damaged in the drama at about 8 pm.

Police said the fracas broke out along the street, which is usually jammed with pedestrians prompting the gun holder to shoot to the air three times in efforts to scare a mob that was baying for his blood.

This followed a disagreement between a security guard and Muraguri who is said to be a hawker and who is a licensed gun holder.

The guard claimed the hawker was blocking the entrance to the mall prompting a bitter confrontation. This attracted a mob, which joined in confronting the hawker who had parked his car in the same area.

In the confusion, the licensed gun holder reached to his pistol as a mob dared him to shoot.

A video taken at the scene captured a mob shouting at him and daring him to shoot if the weapon was real.

He shot in the air three times damaging a window pane of a nearby house and sending the mob on the run for their safety.

Police said it was then that the mob also pelted him with stones and other objects leaving the Toyota Land Cruiser V8 damaged.

The gun holder also lost the magazine to his CZ pistol in the drama. Police rushed to the scene and saved the man from the drama and escorted him to the station. The guard was also arrested pending investigations.

Police want to establish what led to the incident. The area experienced huge human traffic and hawking worsens the situation.