A suspected gang leader was shot dead in Igembe North, Meru County, hours after Inspector General Douglas Kanja ordered intensified security operations in bandit-prone regions across the country.
The operation, announced on Saturday, targets criminal networks in Meru, Isiolo, Samburu and Laikipia counties following a surge in banditry and armed attacks that have left residents living in fear.
According to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations, the suspect was killed during a fierce gun battle at around 2am in Linjoka sub-location, Igembe North, after officers encountered a group of about five armed men.
Detectives said a joint patrol team comprising DCI officers and local police challenged the group, prompting the suspects to allegedly open fire. Officers returned fire in what authorities described as self-defence, sparking an intense exchange of gunshots.
During the confrontation, one suspect sustained a fatal gunshot wound to the head. Four others escaped into the darkness and are believed to be armed and dangerous, triggering a massive manhunt across the area.
“In the intense exchange that followed, one suspect was fatally neutralised while the remaining four fled,” the DCI said in a statement, adding that investigations are ongoing.
Police later described the deceased as a notorious gang leader linked to a string of criminal activities that had terrorised residents in Igembe North and neighbouring areas for months.
At the scene, officers recovered a Beretta pistol loaded with three live rounds of ammunition and one spent cartridge, believed to have been fired during the shootout.
The body was moved to Nyambene Sub-County Hospital mortuary for post-mortem examination as detectives pursue leads on the fleeing suspects.
Security agencies have vowed to sustain the crackdown, warning criminal gangs that their days are numbered as the government moves to restore calm in volatile regions.
