A gang snatched a mobile phone from a passenger on a public service vehicle along Juja Road before disappearing into the slum.
Witnesses to the incident raised the alarm and informed police patrolling Juja Road.
Crime Scene
At least three people, including a seven-year-old boy, sustained gunshot wounds during a dramatic encounter between suspected criminals and police in Mathare slums, Nairobi.
Police indicated that other victims included pedestrians.
The injuries were reported to be in the stomach and legs during the incident on the evening of Wednesday, February 5.
According to law enforcement, a gang had taken a mobile phone from a passenger on a public service vehicle along Juja Road and fled into the slum.
Such incidents have become frequent on this route despite ongoing police efforts to curb the issue.
Witnesses alerted police, prompting a chase through Nigeria Gate, though the suspects managed to escape toward Kampala Ndogo.
Shortly after, the police reported hearing gunshots from the direction the suspects had fled.
They decided to retreat and later learned from MSF Hospital that three victims with gunshot wounds had been brought in.
Police refuted claims that they fired at the suspects during the chase but stated that an investigation is underway.
A joint security team searched the area for the suspects but was unsuccessful.
In a related incident, a suspect was apprehended after stabbing and severely injuring a man during a robbery.
The victim, on his way to work Wednesday morning, was attacked. He resisted, which led to the assailant stabbing him in the stomach before stealing his mobile phone.
He was hospitalized and is now in stable condition, while police tracked down the attacker who was caught in a nearby house.
Such attacks are frequent in informal settlements, and police urge victims to comply with their attackers for safety.
Last month, another man was fatally stabbed during a similar confrontation while protecting his four-year-old son, who fell to the ground and witnes
