Days after a Mugumo tree fell, indicating an imminent bad omen, gunmen on rampage stormed a Kirinyaga supermarket shooting indiscriminately and stealing cash. Two people died in the wake of the attack while several other shoppers are critically injured.
Ms Carol Kasiva, 32 and 38-year-old John Nduati succumbed to gunshot injuries during the Wednesday 7pm attack.
The two were shopping when two gun-wielding gangsters attacked.
The owner of the supermarket, Mr Michael Njeru and his wife Rodah Karimi, who were also shot and injured, were rushed to Mwea Mission Hospital for treatment.
Mr Njeru lost unknown amount of money to the robbers who escaped after the raid.
Wielding Assault rifles
Armed with AK47 assault rifles, the gangsters shot indiscriminately as scared customers scampered to safety.
They then shot Mr Njeru and his wife as they demanded to be told where they had kept cash. The robbers hurriedly stashed the cash in a bag and escaped on a motor cycle.
Mwea West police boss Joseph Matiku who arrived shortly after the gangsters had escaped said: “We are tracking down the gangsters who fled towards Ngurubani town. We shall not rest until we arrest the culprits who killed innocent customers,” Mr Matiku said.
CCTV footage analysis
He said that the police would rely on the CCTV cameras in the supermarket to identify the criminals.
Ms Kasiva’s mother Rahab Mbaika, who was also at the supermarket at the time of the incident, said the gangsters shot at her daughter as she watched helplessly.
“One of the gangsters shot my daughter on the left leg and she collapsed. It was so terrifying, I escaped death by a whisker,” Ms Mbaika told Nation.co.ke.
Ms Mbaika said they had stopped in Makutano to buy a few items in preparation for guests who had promised to visit them in their Machakos home over the weekend.
Went to buy wheat flour
Mr Nduati, who operates a hotel in Makutano town had gone to the supermarket to buy wheat flour and other items when he met his death.
Witnesses said that after being shot on the chest, Mr Nduati took off before he collapsed and died a few meters from the supermarket.
Witnesses said the gangsters fired several shots at the surging crowd as they fled.
James Karimi, a witness, said he heard gunshots and ran to the scene only to find Ms Kasiva’s body lying in a pool of blood.
The bodies were moved to White Rose Hospital mortuary.