Police in Nakuru County have arrested seven suspected members of a criminal gang following an intelligence-led crackdown at Githioro Market, the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) has confirmed.
In a statement issued on Sunday, August 9, the DCI said officers from Githioro Police Station raided the market after receiving information that gang members were hiding within its stalls. The officers caught the suspects red-handed inside one of the stalls during the operation.
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.
A search of the hideout led detectives to recover an assortment of crude weapons, including pangas and axes, which were seized as exhibits for further investigation.
The DCI further revealed that one of the suspects, Paul Maina Kariuki alias Spata, was already wanted by Githioro Police Station in connection with a separate defilement case reported on July 25, 2026.
“The seven suspects remain in custody undergoing processing ahead of their arraignment,” the DCI said.
The arrests form part of continued police efforts to disrupt criminal gangs terrorising residents in different parts of Nakuru County. In April, police arrested 28 suspected gang members during a separate crackdown in Nakuru East, covering areas including Kaloleni, Freehold and Railway Stage.
Authorities have increasingly relied on intelligence-led operations to track and dismantle criminal networks across the country. Nairobi alone has more than 126 mapped criminal gangs linked to crimes ranging from armed robbery to extortion and electronic theft.
The Nakuru crackdown comes as concerns grow nationally over the use of criminal gangs to intimidate political opponents ahead of the 2027 General Election. Principal Secretary for Internal Security and National Administration Raymond Omollo recently warned politicians against recruiting gang members or exploiting young people to disrupt public gatherings, urging security agencies to work closely with local leaders to safeguard peace.
The gang crackdown also comes as Nakuru grapples with other high-profile investigations, including a recent case in which the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission arrested seven current and former county officials and a contractor over alleged procurement fraud exceeding Ksh120 million.
Detectives are expected to pursue further leads from the Githioro arrests to establish whether the suspects are linked to other criminal incidents reported in the county.
