A botched robbery at Karatina Town in Nyeri county turned into a scene of open fire between suspected gangsters and policemen which ended in the murder of three of the robbers whose days were clearly numbered.
Confirming the incident, Karatina Sub-county Police Commander James Barasa said two firearms and four rounds of ammunition were recovered from the suspects who were trying to break into an entertainment joint.
The robbers engaged police in a cat and mouse game for more than five hours before they were gunned down.
“We have recovered an AK 47 rifle and a homemade pistol capable of firing. Three of the robbers were shot dead but others managed to escape,” said Barasa.
The armed men are said to have been in a gang of ten when they stormed the entertainment joint and tried breaking into the cash office.
One of the staffers at the premises raised an alarm and police on patrol responded prompting some of the robbers to flee through neighbouring premises.
Police officers who arrived at the scene were forced to use tear gas to flush the thugs out of a house where they were holed up as they opened fire on police.
Three had sought refuge inside a ceiling of one of the premises using it as a vantage point to fire at the officers.
Police are now in pursuit of the other suspects who manged to escape.