Police are probing an incident where a gang of armed robbers allegedly escaped with Sh220,000 and shot dead a matatu driver along Kenyatta road on his way from Makongeni to Thika town on Saturday.
The four robbers were fully armed and chasing after a chemist attendant who was heading to deposit money at a nearby bank.
According to Makongeni Pharmacy attendant, Paul Ndegwa, it has been his routine depositing money in the bank account on Saturdays.
“I boarded a matatu at Makongeni stage and on reaching Munene Industries along Kenyatta Road, the matatu stopped and I heard a loud bang that I thought was a tyre burst,” said Ndegwa.
He said the gunmen surrounded the vehicle ready to shoot as they conducted a thorough search on where the money had been hidden.
Eye witnesses said that the four armed robbers arrived at the scene, before committing the heinous crime, with a saloon car and blocked a 2TS Sacco matatu and shot the driver from outside.
The deceased driver met his death after he tried to evade the irate armed robbers who had blocked his vehicle.
Confirming the incident, Thika west OCS Benjamin Kiprono said that they have launched a crackdown to apprehend the bandits involved.
He said that Ndegwa was in police custody where he is being interrogated, as he is being suspected to be in cahoots with the bandits.
The body of the deceased driver, who left a one year baby girl, was taken to Thika Level Five hospital morgue.