NAIROBI, Kenya — A suspected mobile phone thief was fatally shot by police in Nairobi’s Kasarani area on Saturday evening following an attempted robbery.
The incident, which occurred along Mirema Road, highlights the persistent issue of street crime plaguing the capital.
According to official police reports, two suspects on a motorcycle allegedly attempted to snatch a mobile phone from a female pedestrian. The victim’s screams quickly drew the attention of police officers on nearby patrol, who immediately moved to intercept the suspects.
During the ensuing confrontation, the motorcycle rider was fatally shot by the officers, while his accomplice managed to escape the scene on foot.
Police recovered a mobile phone believed to have been stolen moments before from the deceased suspect.
The motorcycle used in the attempted robbery was subsequently towed to Kasarani Police Station for comprehensive examination, and the deceased’s body was transferred to the city mortuary pending formal identification and a post-mortem examination.
The Nairobi police noted that the incident underscores the ongoing challenge of mobile phone snatching, a crime that has been rising despite continuous crackdowns targeting street criminals and illegal phone syndicates.
Investigators suggest that stolen phones are often sold to unsuspecting buyers, dismantled for refurbishment, or smuggled into neighboring countries.
Detectives across Kasarani and other city divisions have intensified operations against the syndicates believed to be orchestrating this vice, leading to several recent arrests and arraignments in court.
Unrelated investigations underway
In separate developments across the country, police are investigating several unrelated deaths:
Kilifi County: Police are probing the mysterious death of a woman after her skeletal remains were discovered in a thicket in Ngerenya. Family members were able to identify the remains through the clothes the woman was wearing before she went missing on May 23, 2025.
While the specific cause of death is yet to be established, detectives suspect possible foul play. The remains were transferred to the Kilifi County mortuary for post-mortem examination.
Also Read: Two suspected phone thieves lynched, bodies set on fire in Parklands, Nairobi
Police in the region expressed growing concern over an increasing number of homicide cases, particularly those targeting the elderly population.
Githurai 44, Nairobi: Authorities have launched an inquiry into the death of a woman who collapsed along Kiangiciri Road on Saturday. Witnesses reported that the woman, who had a visible fresh wound on her leg, fell by the roadside.
She was pronounced dead at the scene after an ambulance arrived.
The cause of the injury and the circumstances leading to her death remain unclear, and her body has been moved for autopsy and identification.
