Gachagi slums residents in Makongeni, Thika West sub-county had on Tuesday morning burnt a bush believed to be a hiding den for criminals who have been attacking them in the evening hours.
The residents were angered after one of the area elders was on Monday evening attacked at around 7pm and left nursing injuries after the suspects beat him up before stealing from him Sh5,300 and a mobile phone plus his National Identity card.
Mwangi Mucheru, 78, is said to have been on his way from the market to supervise the sale of his scrap metals when he met four young men whom he claimed seemed familiar to him.
He told the press that the four gang men who attacked him had crude weapons such as knives and a hammer when they attacked and threatened to kill him by hitting his head using the hammer before forcing him to surrender everything he had.
Confirming the incident, Thika Deputy OCPD Mary Kiarie who visited the area after the elder reported the matter to the station said that the slum area seems unsecured considering a large part of it is covered by bushes and therefore there is need to clear them down.
She added that the residents will end the crimes on their own if they identify criminals as they live among them.
Kiarie has however promised to probe on the incident and get the perpetrators who are alleged to be residing in the same place.