Gunmen kill 24-year-old trader as crime wave grips Nakuru
A 24-year-old trader was shot dead by armed robbers in Nakuru’s Upper Hill Estate, Soilo area, raising fears about a rising wave of violent crime in the county.
Elias Mambili was accosted by three attackers at his shop on the night of May 31, 2025, an incident that left him shot in the abdomen during the robbery.
Mwambili, who becomes the fourth person to be fatally shot in Nakuru over the past two weeks later succumbed to his injuries while being rushed to the hospital.
Speaking to a local media station on June 1, 2025, resident Monicah Njeri, who witnessed the killing, described the harrowing scene, recounting how the assailants used machetes before ultimately shooting the young trader.
“It was around 8 pm when we heard the commotion. I was at the salon attending to a client. We heard noises and opened the door. Upon opening, we saw two people inside beating Elias. They took him outside, beat him, and cut him with machetes on his back. We then closed the door and window, and from there we heard a gunshot hit him, and the man stopped screaming and went silent. I witnessed this young man being killed, and there was nothing I could do because one of the gunmen stood close to where I was,” Njeri stated.
Another witness, Tom Mboya, provided additional details about the attackers’ methods and escape, confirming the use of an assault rifle.
“Two of them had machetes. And they were using that to assault him. And when they came out, the last person had a gun — an AK-47, from what we gathered — and he shot Elias. From there, they walked away, and there was already a waiting motorbike about 100 meters or less,” Mboya recounted.
The suspects made off with approximately Ksh 200,000 during the robbery, according to witnesses who spoke to the local media station.
Disturbing pattern
This latest incident is part of a disturbing pattern of similar attacks in the area, mirroring four other incidents reported in Pipeline, Ndekendimo, Mwariki, and Ngata over the past two weeks.
This has left the community living in fear and calling for urgent government intervention.
“Our government that we love should try to bring security to this side, look at this place, bring security so that at least when you get out at night and shout, you can get help,” another resident, Stiverlence Akoyo, pleaded.
Despite growing concerns, police have yet to arrest any suspects linked to these attacks.
In response to the incidents, Nakuru County Commissioner Loyford Kibaara stated that a major crackdown is underway, with increased security patrols set to be intensified in the affected areas.
