Four Men Shot Dead In Buruburu Had Criminal Histories, Court And Police Records Indicate

NAIROBI Kenya December 29 -The four young men who were shot dead on December 24 have records of criminal activities and had been released from Athi River GK Prisons a month earlier

According to court and police records, Brian Mwangi Kariuki (24), Francis Kamau Kamanu (27), Ben Mwangi Kinyua (24), Julius Mwikia Mwangi (25) and John Achoka (30) had been charged with several counts of counts of robbery, stealing and burglary in Athi River.

The suspects had been arrested on April 20 after investigations linked them to a January 7 robbery at Kencam Pharmaceuticals in Athi River, Machakos County where they stole items worth Sh690,000.

One of the slain suspects, Julius Mwakia Mwangi. PHOTO/COURTESY

Detectives have also said the gang of five was behind robberies and burglaries within the city and its environs, including Machakos and Kiambu counties.

However, one of them who escaped death by a whisker as he had travelled to his rural home for Christmas festivities.

The same gang is said to have raided residents of Taasia in Embakasi on January 14 where they were arrested and police recovered a club, electric key lock, motorcycle key, a sack and a matchbox while Kinyua was also found with 6 rolls of bhang.

In another incident in September 2022, the same gang committed a robbery in Githunguri, Kiambu county where they broke into rental apartments and stole property worth Sh113,000.

The case was however later withdrawn in court after the complainant failed to appear in court.

An autopsy conducted on the bodies on Wednesday showed that their deaths were a result of multiple gunshot wounds.

Pathologist Dr Peter Ndegwa, who conducted the examination on the three bodies concluded they all died of excessive bleeding as a result of multiple gunshot wounds.

Kinyua was shot five times while the cousins, Mwikia was shot six times and Kariuki 11 times. The body of the fourth man is yet to be operated upon as no family member was present to identify the deceased.

Over twenty suspects said to have had multiple run-ins with the law have been killed in unclear circumstances in the last two years.

Among them is Daniel Gucoma Ndutire who was shot dead in Juja. For almost five years, he operated freely despite the fact that a warrant of arrest had been issued against him for jumping bail in a robbery case.

But even as the authorities sought him, he is said to have been involved in a number of robberies within Nairobi and its environs and even beyond.

Others include Brian Oduor, Elly Obuong, Benjamin Amache Imbai 30, and Jack Ochieng Anyago 37 who were abducted as they left Enkare restaurant in Kitengela and their bodies later found dumped in rivers.

The recovery and identification of the bodies revealed a distinct pattern of killing, a modus operandi indicative of the work of a single gang.