Detectives have recovered an AK-47 rifle stolen from a police officer during an armed robbery in Mavoko nine months ago after a suspected gangster was shot dead in a fierce gun battle in Machakos County.
The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) in a statement on Saturday, August 15, 2026, said the firearm was recovered in the Mashokani area of Matungulu Sub-County along the Koma–Kenol Highway, where detectives had cornered a gang suspected of terrorising the area.
The operation followed what the DCI described as “actionable intelligence” that led detectives to the persons of interest, who were travelling in a Toyota Harrier.
“Instead of surrendering, the gang opened fire, turning the highway into a scene of gunfire,” the DCI said.
How one person of interest was killed
Detectives returned fire, killing one of them who was armed with an AK-47.
“Detectives returned fire, triggering a fierce shootout in which one suspect, armed with an AK-47, was fatally wounded,” the statement said.
The suspect’s accomplice, who was armed with a pistol, managed to escape from the scene.
“His accomplice, armed with a pistol, bolted from the scene and managed to escape,” the DCI said, adding that detectives had launched a “hot pursuit” to track him down.
The AK-47 recovered from the slain suspect was loaded with 11 rounds of 7.62×39mm ammunition.
“Preliminary investigation established that the rifle is the same firearm stolen from a police officer during a violent robbery in Mavoko in November 2025,” the DCI said.
Where the riffle was stolen
The rifle was stolen during a violent attack in Athi River in which three armed men allegedly confronted a police officer who was guarding a residence.According to the DCI, the officer was shot in the chest and both legs before the attackers escaped with his firearm and mobile phone.
“They shot him on the chest and both legs before escaping with his AK-47 rifle, loaded with 30 rounds of ammunition, and his mobile phone,” the statement said.
The recovered rifle had therefore been in the hands of criminals for about nine months before detectives traced it to the suspect killed in the Machakos shootout.
Other items recovered
Detectives also recovered several items from the suspects’ Toyota Harrier, including eight mobile phones, four balaclavas, crowbars and torches.
“A search of the suspects’ Toyota Harrier yielded eight mobile phones, four balaclavas, crowbars and torches,” the DCI said.
Crime Scene Investigation detectives processed the scene as investigations continued to establish the identities of the suspects and determine whether they were involved in other criminal activities.
The body of the deceased suspect was moved to the Kangundo Level 4 Hospital mortuary pending an autopsy.
The DCI said the escaped suspect remained a key target in the ongoing operation.
“As the escaped suspect remains on the run, detectives are leaving no stone unturned in the hunt to bring him to justice and unravel the gang’s wider criminal network,” the statement said.
The DCI has urged members of the public with information about the suspects or their activities to report anonymously through its Fichua Kwa DCI platform.
