Thika Insecurity: Undercover Cop Killed, Investigations Intensify After Botched Robbery

On 18th June 2025, at approximately 4:00 p.m., Constable Bernard Koome, a member of the Special Investigations Unit (Spiv) in Thika, Kiambu County, was fatally shot in the neck during a botched robbery in the Kianjau area of Thika Town.

Spiv, a team of undercover officers tasked with curbing urban crime, was patrolling when the incident unfolded.

Koome and his colleagues were in the Cravers area when they spotted a suspicious motorcycle and intercepted it. The rider abandoned the bike and fled on foot, briefly kneeling as if to surrender.

As Koome and another officer approached, the suspect drew a firearm and opened fire, catching the officers off guard. A bullet struck Koome in the neck, and the suspect escaped amid the chaos, firing shots into the air.

Witnesses reported that a non-armed colleague retrieved Koome’s pistol and briefly pursued the gunman, who then hijacked a bodaboda motorcycle at gunpoint, forcing off its pillion passenger before speeding away.

A video circulating online captured the suspect seizing the motorcycle. Koome was rushed to a nearby hospital but was pronounced dead on arrival.

Police launched a major operation in the area but failed to apprehend the suspect. At the scene, investigators recovered two spent 9mm cartridges and a Czeska pistol magazine containing seven 9mm rounds, believed to belong to the suspect.

The evidence has been sent for ballistic analysis as the manhunt continues. No arrests have been made.

The suspect is suspected to be part of a criminal network terrorising Thika Town, where crime rates have fluctuated despite ongoing police efforts.

Authorities have intensified investigations to track down the perpetrator and address the rising insecurity in the region.

The Czeska Pistol

The Czeska (likely a CZ-75 variant, commonly misidentified as “Czeska” in reports), a 9mm semi-automatic pistol, is a Czech-designed firearm renowned for its reliability and ergonomic grip.

With a 15-17 round magazine capacity, it’s favoured by law enforcement and criminals alike for its accuracy and rapid fire rate.

Firing 9x19mm Parabellum rounds, it delivers a muzzle velocity of about 1,200 fps, with effective range up to 50 metres. Its steel frame (around 2.2 lbs unloaded) ensures durability, but its prevalence in Kenya’s black market, as noted on X, raises concerns about unregulated arms.

The recovered magazine’s seven rounds suggest the suspect fired multiple shots, complicating ballistic tracing due to the round’s widespread use.