SIAYA, Kenya — Two suspected gang members were shot dead on Tuesday night during a botched robbery in Yala town, as a police officer was left injured in the confrontation.
Police said the men, both middle-aged, tried to rob a shop around 10 p.m. The female shopkeeper raised the alarm, drawing the attention of a Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) officer on patrol nearby.
What followed quickly turned violent. According to authorities, the suspects attempted to escape but struck the officer in the chest with a metal rod. The officer responded with gunfire, killing both men on the spot.
Gem Yala Sub-County Police Commander, Charles Wafula, said the men were believed to be part of a gang that had carried out a string of robberies in the area. “The deceased were part of a criminal gang that we have been pursuing following a series of robberies in this area,” Mr Wafula told reporters.
The officer was admitted to Yala Sub-County Hospital, where doctors said he was in stable condition. The bodies of the suspects were taken to the hospital mortuary.
One of the men was identified as Charles Odhiambo Ojwang’, known locally as “Buda.” Police said the second suspect’s identity had not yet been confirmed.
The incident has reignited concern about rising insecurity in parts of western Kenya, where residents have complained of frequent night robberies. Police said investigations are ongoing, and patrols in Yala have been reinforced.
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