A robbery suspect, Victor Adika, who allegedly fled from the scene where one of his accomplices was fatally injured by the police in Mathare slums, Nairobi, has been presented before the Makadara Law Courts to face charges of attempted robbery with violence, as per section 295 and section 297 (2) of the Penal Code.
The prosecution alleges that Victor Adika, along with others at large, attempted to rob Kenneth Mbitiru of his car, valued at Ksh 700,000, while wielding a knife. The incident unfolded on October 16, 2023, in the Kosovo area of the expansive Mathare slums.
The victim, Kenneth Mbitiru, had received a customer request to pick them up at the Kosovo area and transport them to Ruiru. As he arrived at the designated location at around 5:30 am, a suspicious individual wearing a hood that obscured their face emerged from the darkness. In a bid to escape, Mbitiru began reversing his car to make a U-turn.
Before he could make his getaway, the suspicious person, armed with a knife and a hammer, approached his vehicle, and two more men subsequently arrived at the scene. The assailants attempted to break into Mbitiru’s car with the hammer, but he raised the alarm.
Responding to the distress call, two police officers from Mathare police station, who were on patrol, arrived at the scene. The officers ordered the three suspects to surrender. However, the suspects defied the order and attempted to flee, prompting the officers to fire at them to halt their escape. Tragically, one of the suspects was killed in the process, while the others managed to escape further into the slums.
The case was subsequently taken over by officers from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) Starehe offices. The deceased suspect was reported to be a known hardcore criminal operating in the area and was already on the police’s radar.
Victor Adika, recognized by the two police officers, was identified as one of the three individuals involved in the attempted robbery of Mr. Mbitiru. He was traced and apprehended later. After his arrest, the Mathare police officers received information that Adika had been spotted in the Kosovo area. They swiftly proceeded to the location, arrested him, and subsequently handed him over to their DCI colleagues. The DCI officers carried out further investigations and eventually brought the suspect to court.
Before Principal Magistrate Caroline Mugo of the Makadara Law Courts, Victor Adika pleaded not guilty to the charges. He has been remanded in custody until November 13, when the court will receive his pre-bail report, prepared by the probation and aftercare services department. This report will assist the court in determining the bail and bond terms. The trial for the case is scheduled to commence on April 22, 2024.
