- A SPIV police officer was gunned down during a routine motorbike inspection in Cravers, Thika.
- Rider shot the officer in the throat after a scuffle broke out.
- Suspect escaped on a stolen motorbike; a loaded magazine was found at the scene.
- The officer died upon arrival at Thika Nursing Home.
- DCIO confirms manhunt is ongoing as investigations continue.
What started as a normal evening inspection turned into a deadly encounter after a police constable from the Special Police Intercept and Verification (SPIV) unit was shot dead in Cravers, Thika West. The incident happened on Tuesday evening during a check targeting unregistered motorbikes.
The officers had stopped a rider whose motorcycle didn’t have the special registration code that is mandatory for genuine boda boda operators in Thika. The code was introduced to fight increasing criminal activity involving impersonators posing as riders.
An eyewitness, Rose Makena, said things got heated after one officer removed the key from the rider’s motorbike. A confrontation followed, during which the rider managed to wrestle the officer, grabbed a firearm, and fired a shot directly to his throat.
As the injured officer fell, his colleagues reportedly took cover and were unable to respond. The attacker then ran off and hijacked another motorbike near the Royale Hotel. He forced the rider and passenger off and rode away at high speed.
A loaded magazine was found at the spot where the incident happened, and police crime scene officers collected it as part of the evidence. Meanwhile, the injured officer was rushed to Thika Nursing Home but was sadly declared dead on arrival.
DCIO Confirms Manhunt for Killer Rider
Thika DCIO Jacinta Mbaika confirmed the incident and said that investigations were underway. She added that detectives are actively pursuing the suspect and promised that a full report would be shared once more findings are available.
SPIV officers have been conducting regular checks in the area to weed out fake riders linked to rising robberies. Tuesday’s tragic event now raises more concern about the safety of officers working on the front line in high-risk zones.
