NAKURU, Kenya — Police have arrested seven suspected members of a criminal gang during a crackdown at Githioro Market in Nakuru County, the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) has said.
The arrests followed intelligence indicating that suspected gang members were operating from or hiding within the market, according to the DCI.
Officers from Githioro Police Station raided the market stalls after receiving the information and found the seven suspects inside one of the stalls.
The suspects were identified as Paul Maina Kariuki, alias Spata; James Kinyanjui Njuguna; Joseph Mburu Mburu, alias Mbocho; Victor Kariuki Gichanga, alias Kirio; David Chege Chege; Micky Nicky Hutten; and Daniel Mwaura Karanja.
Police said a search of the suspected hideout resulted in the recovery of several crude weapons, including pangas and axes.
The weapons were seized and recorded as exhibits as investigations into the suspected gang’s activities continue.
The DCI did not disclose the specific offences the group is suspected of committing or whether the recovered weapons had been linked to any particular crime.
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Preliminary investigations have also established that Paul Maina Kariuki, alias Spata, was already wanted by Githioro Police Station in connection with a separate defilement case reported on July 25, 2026, according to the DCI.
Police did not provide further details about the complainant or circumstances surrounding that case.
The seven suspects remain in police custody as officers complete processing ahead of their arraignment in court.
The arrests form part of ongoing police efforts to disrupt suspected criminal networks and recover weapons believed to be used in criminal activities in Nakuru County.
The suspects remain innocent unless and until proven guilty by a court of law.
