Two suspects were Monday evening shot and killed by police in a botched robbery in Mathare slums, Nairobi.
The two had taken advantage of a clash that was ongoing along Outer Ring Road for the better of the afternoon to attack and rob from pedestrians along Juja Road.
Police said they recovered a knife from the slain men. Another accomplice managed to escape, police said.
According to the police, the men had been attacking and robbing pedestrians and had subdued one man as he walked from a mosque and started to rob him of his valuables and cash in the 5 pm incident.
An alarm was raised alerting police on patrol who responded shooting and killing two of them.
Police said a third suspect managed to escape on foot into the slum.
The victim said he lost his mobile phone in the attack. The mobile phone was later found in the pocket of one of the slain men and handed over to the owner.
The bodies were moved to the mortuary pending autopsy.
In the meantime, police battled gangs that clashed on Outer Ring Road near Kariobangi for the better part of the day on Monday.
The unruly crowds barricaded the road, blocking traffic along the busy route linking Thika Road and the Eastern Bypass.
The clashes mainly occurred between Allsops and the Kariobangi Roundabout, spreading to the Riverside area as police tried to contain the situation.
Motorists were urged to avoid Outering Road and take alternative routes, such as Jogoo Road and the Easter Bypass, while the authorities worked to quell the situation.
The rivalry has been steaming for at least one week now, according to local reports.
Only last week, Kenyans.co.ke obtained footage that showed groups of youth lighting fires along the busy highway.
On Monday, one the groups was demanding removal of police officers from Huruma and Kariobangj police stations for failing to respond snd protect them from goons last Thursday in the area. The goons crossed from Kiamaiko to Kariobangi where they attacked premises robbing occupants of property and cash.
On Thursday, July 24, afternoon, tensions had remained high along the key highway, with more anti-riot police being deployed to contain the situation.
According to witnesses, the unrest stemmed from an incident in which a suspected thief was killed by a mob in the Kiamaiko area.
This prompted chaos in the area. The chaos broke out on Monday prompting anti riot to respond with tear gas canisters.
Elsewhere, acting on a tip-off, police officers from Kasagam Police Station in Kisumu raided a suspected gang hideout along the banks of Auji River, near Daraja Mbili area in Manyatta ‘B’ Sub-Location and arrested five suspects.
The men are believed to have been involved in various crimes in the Nyamasaria area.
The officers also recovered a Honda motorcycle, three pangas, one knife, and a toy gun.
Police say there has been a slight rise in crime in urban areas amid efforts to address the menace.
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