Nairobi, Kenya, Mar 13 — The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) has come under fire after it edited a report posted on its social media pages in regards to the fatal shooting of two suspected gangsters and the subsequent recovery of Sh1.1 million and fire arms in Murang’a.
The DCI pulled down its initial tweet alongside which it had attached images showing the legs of the two suspected gangsters who had allegedly been killed after engaging in a shootout with police officers.
The agency later reposted images of guns allegedly used by the criminals and money recovered in the incident raising eyebrows among a section of Kenyans.
Kenyans on Twitter and Facebook flooded the DCI pages questioning why the investigative agency had edited its post with some questioning the circumstances behind the shooting of the two suspects.
The agency indicated the suspects were on the run after staging a robbery at Unaitas SACCO within Kigumo on Saturday.
Some wondered whether the whole move was a deliberate attempt to cover up what they said appeared to be an ‘extra judicial killing’.
After the report, images of two individuals with attires similar to the ones gunned down began spreading online.
The suspects appeared in handcuffs, sitting on the ground surrounded by armed police officers.
New images
The new images elicited mixed reactions with Kenyans questioning how the men engaged the police in shoot out as reported by the DCI yet they were in handcuffs.
In its report the DCI said that two were killed and two assault rifles recovered following what they described a fierce shootout Sunday in Kigumo, Murang’a county.
According to the DCI, a marauding gang of 6 that has been on police radar had on February 25 wrestled an AK-47 rifle loaded with 14 rounds of ammunition from a police officer on patrol within Muthithi area.
The firearm is believed to have been used in Saturday’s robbery incident.
“In a joint operation between officers drawn from Murang’a and Kiambu counties backed up by an elite team from the Crime Research and Intelligence Bureau, the officers combed Kinyona forest before coming across the two who challenged them to a duel,” the DCI said in a statement Sunday.
The agency stated that its officers returned fire “with remarkable precision” killing the two on the spot.
IPOA inquiry
The Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) has since opened probe into the shooting.
Here are some of the reactions from Kenyans;
