1 Killed as Police Engage Gangsters in Deadly Shootout on Busy Highway

One person has been killed after police engaged suspected gangsters in a shootout along the busy Koma–Kenol Highway in Machakos County.

According to a statement issued by the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) on Saturday, August 15, 2026, the incident happened in the Mashokani area of Matungulu Sub-County after detectives received actionable intelligence about a gang suspected of terrorising the area.

The suspects were travelling in a Toyota Harrier when detectives flagged them down, but instead of surrendering, they opened fire, turning the busy highway into a scene of gunfire.

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Suspects Engage Detectives in Shootout

“Instead of surrendering, the gang opened fire, turning the highway into a scene of gunfire. Detectives returned fire, triggering a fierce shootout in which one suspect, armed with an AK-47, was fatally wounded,” said the DCI.

His accomplice, who was armed with a pistol, managed to escape and remains on the run as detectives mount a hot pursuit to track him down.

The confrontation ended with detectives recovering an AK-47 rifle from the dead suspect. The firearm was loaded with 11 rounds of 7.62×39mm ammunition.

A subsequent search of the Toyota Harrier yielded eight mobile phones, four balaclavas, crowbars and torches.

Recovered Rifle Linked To Mavoko Attack

Preliminary investigations established that the recovered AK-47 was the same firearm stolen from a police officer during an armed attack in Mavoko in November 2025.

During the earlier attack, three armed men reportedly confronted the officer while he was guarding a house in Athi River.

The attackers shot him in the chest and both legs before escaping with his AK-47 rifle, which had 30 rounds of ammunition, and his mobile phone.

The recovery of the firearm nine months later has now linked the latest shootout to the earlier attack.

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Detectives Hunt For Escaped Suspect

Crime Scene Investigation officers processed the scene as detectives continued with their investigations.

The body of the dead suspect was taken to Kangundo Level 4 Hospital mortuary, where it is being held pending an autopsy.

With the second suspect still at large, detectives are pursuing him as they seek to establish the wider criminal network behind the gang and bring the escaped suspect to justice.

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DCI headquarters. PHOTO/DCI