Detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) arrested three suspected armed robbers in Githurai, Kiambu County, during an intelligence-led operation, police said. Investigators linked the suspects to the robbery at the Chaiiwali restaurant in Spring Valley.
Officers recovered two pistols and ammunition believed to have been used in a series of robberies across Nairobi and its surrounding areas.
How the Operation Unfolded
Officers from DCI Headquarters carried out the operation on Monday, July 20, 2026, at about 6:00 p.m. at an apartment block in Mwiki, police said.
Investigators had been monitoring three suspects they believed were staying in a sixth-floor apartment. The suspects spotted the officers and tried to escape through the rear exit by climbing down the building, police said.
Members of the public raised the alarm, prompting officers to respond to the scene. Officers fired warning shots into the air, and the suspects fell before being arrested.
“Preliminary investigations have linked the suspects to a recent armed robbery incident that was captured on CCTV footage, in which armed assailants robbed members of the public at a popular restaurant along General Mathenge Road in Spring Valley before escaping on motorcycles,” the National Police Service (NPS) said.
Police said the group included a foreign national and a female suspect who escaped during the operation.
Second Raid Turns Up More Weapons
After their arrest, investigators said the suspects guided officers to a second apartment in the Manguo area of Githurai Kimbo.
The search of the premises led to the recovery of a Mini Beretta pistol fitted with a magazine containing 3 rounds of 9mm ammunition and a Retay Falcon pistol loaded with a magazine containing 5 rounds of 9mm ammunition, police said.
Senior officers from the DCI and Githurai Kimbo Police Station visited the scene and processed the area. The 3 suspects remain in custody as investigations continue, while police pursue the female suspect who escaped during the operation.
Link to Earlier Fatal Shootout
The arrests follow the death of Vincent Ochieng, one of the suspects linked to the robbery, who was shot dead on July 13 at Joska in Machakos County after a shootout with detectives. Preliminary reports indicated that Ochieng refused to surrender and engaged officers in a close-range gunfight.
Detectives recovered from him a pistol registered to Court of Appeal judge Aggrey Muchelule, who told police he was unaware the firearm had gone missing. Police said the judge holds a valid license to carry a firearm but had not renewed the permit since October 2025.
Inside the Chaiiwali Restaurant Robbery
During the robbery, armed men wearing face masks stormed the restaurant after arriving on 2 motorbikes, brandishing firearms and ordering diners to hand over their valuables, police said.
The attackers stole 6 iPhones, 1 Samsung phone, and an HP laptop in a robbery that lasted about 40 seconds, then fled on the 2 motorcycles toward the Parklands area. Witnesses said the robbers fired 2 rounds into the air as they escaped, apparently to deter anyone from giving chase. Police later recovered a spent 9mm cartridge at the scene.
Investigators also traced some of the stolen phones to Kariobangi, opening up new leads in the probe. Sources said the first officers on the scene tracked one of the phones, which remained active in the Baba Dogo area before the suspect switched it off.
