Police arrest suspected gang member in Kusumu East

Officers attached to Gita Police Station in Kisumu East Sub-County have arrested a man believed to be part of a notorious criminal gang that has been terrorising residents of Kisumu City and its surrounding areas.

The arrest followed what police described as “relentless pursuit” of a gang accused of robbery and theft targeting unsuspecting members of the public.

Acting on credible intelligence, officers pounced on the suspect after tracking his movements for several days as investigations into the gang intensified.

According to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), the hunt for the suspect gathered pace after one of his accomplices met a tragic end on January 23, 2026, when he was subjected to mob justice after being cornered with a stolen motorcycle.

The incident is said to have provided crucial leads that helped detectives narrow down on the remaining gang members and their possible hideouts.

Sensing that the suspect could still be in possession of stolen property, officers mounted a swift and well-coordinated operation at his residence in Kajulu Gardens, Konya sub-location.

The early morning raid caught the suspect off guard, allowing detectives to secure the premises and conduct a thorough search.

Inside the house, police recovered a haul of suspected stolen items, including three motorcycles, a 65-inch Hisense television, a 12-kilogramme Menghas gas cylinder, a double-burner gas cooker, assorted mobile phones, and various motorcycle spare parts.

Investigators believe the items were stolen during separate robbery incidents within Kisumu City and neighbouring areas.

“Some of the recovered items have since been positively identified by their rightful owners, bringing relief to victims who had written off their losses,” DCI said.

The suspect was immediately taken into custody, where he is currently undergoing processing pending arraignment in court.

Police said the remaining recovered items have been secured as exhibits and will be released to their owners once identification and documentation processes are complete.

The National Police Service reiterated its commitment to rooting out crime and safeguarding lives and property across the country, noting that intelligence-led operations and cooperation with the public remain key in dismantling criminal networks.

At the same time, members of the public were urged to resist the temptation of taking the law into their own hands and instead allow justice to take its proper course, a message reinforced in light of the recent mob killing linked to the gang.

The arrest in Kisumu comes just hours after the DCI dismantled a mobile phone theft and black-market network operating across Nairobi and extending beyond Kenya’s borders.

The operation followed numerous public complaints over a surge in phone snatching incidents within the city.

Detectives revealed that an intelligence-led, multi-agency operation coordinated by the DCI’s Operation Support Unit (OSU) led to the arrest of seven suspects believed to be orchestrating the thefts and trading stolen devices on the black market. During the operation, officers recovered 150 mobile phones, 16 tablets, and six laptops from multiple locations in Nairobi.

Among those arrested was a Ugandan national suspected of acting as the link between receivers in Kenya and buyers in Uganda.