A man was shot dead after allegedly breaking into an armoury at Gatare Forest Station in Kigumo, Murang’a County, in the early hours of Saturday.
Police said the incident occurred shortly after midnight after forest officers confronted the man, identified only by the alias “Kiringa”, over alleged illegal harvesting of indigenous trees for firewood.
Kenya Forest Service officials told police they were informed that the suspect was illegally cutting “Mtondo” trees at Ngitwe Forest Station.
The suspect reportedly fled on foot, leaving behind a red Ranger motorcycle. The officers seized the motorcycle and took it to Gatare Forest Station, where it was secured in the station armoury.
Police said that at about 12.05am, the officers heard commotion coming from the station office housing the armoury.
On checking, they allegedly found the suspect had broken into the armoury and was attempting to retrieve the motorcycle.
The officers challenged him to identify himself, but the rangers said he became violent while armed with a panga and a claw hammer.
The forest rangers ordered the suspect to stop and fired four rounds from his rifle, but the man continued advancing towards the officers.
One of the rangers then shot him in the right upper thigh in an attempt to subdue him.
Police visited the scene and found the suspect lying unresponsive outside the office building.
The scene was processed and several items were recovered, including the rifle allegedly used in the shooting, a magazine containing 25 rounds of 7.62x39mm ammunition, two spent cartridges, the motorcycle, a panga, a claw hammer and debris from the damaged armoury door.
A search of the suspect’s body also recovered a mobile phone, Sh250 in cash, a roll of suspected bhang, a stick of Supermatch cigarette and a used matchbox.
The body was moved to Kigumo Sub-County Hospital mortuary for preservation and identification.
Police and DCI officers have launched investigations into the circumstances surrounding the shooting.
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