Police arrest Ugandan gang linked to crimes in Western Kenya

A four-man gang of Ugandan nationals, armed with an AK-47 rifle, was arrested in Nairobi on Friday after being linked to a string of violent robberies in Busia and Bungoma counties between March 24 and April 26.

The group is believed to have stolen at least Sh1.78 million in cash and mobile phones worth over Sh401,000 during their crime spree.

Investigators say the gang operated with a clear pattern—using an AK-47, a pistol, and typically two unregistered motorbikes for their getaways. Victims consistently reported being targeted for cash and phones.

During the same period, the suspects are said to have fatally shot a boda boda rider near Wema Hotel in Bumala and left a police officer seriously wounded following a shooting in Kiminini.

One of the incidents tied to the gang occurred on March 24, when six armed suspects—carrying an AK-47 rifle and two pistols—stormed Kassmat Wholesale and Mwalimu General Merchandise shops in Lugulu, Butula Sub-County.

During the raid, they made away with approximately Sh700,000 in cash and mobile phones worth about Sh250,000.

Elukongo Sub-Location Assistant Chief Maurice Masikini alerted officers from Butula Police Station.

While en route to Ogallo Market in response, the officers received another distress call reporting a second robbery underway at Lugulu Market.

According to police reports, investigations revealed that both robberies were carried out by the same gang, which fled the scenes on two motorcycles while firing shots into the air to scare off bystanders.

The assailants discharged one round at Ogallo Market and three rounds at Lugulu before escaping toward Namabale. A spent cartridge was recovered at the scene.

In another incident on April 5, four members of the gang targeted Tony Ouma Muduru’s shop located along the Busia-Kisumu highway in Matayos, Busia Sub-County.

They reportedly made away with Sh150,000 in cash and two mobile phones worth Sh31,000.

The suspects, armed with an AK-47, a pistol, and a knife, fled the scene on two unidentified motorcycles. No injuries were reported during the robbery.

That same night, five gang members struck again, targeting Highway Bumala Wholesalers and Retail Shop just as owner Ali Edin was about to close for the day.

They ordered everyone inside to lie down before stealing Sh280,000 in cash, three mobile phones, and a CCTV CPU, all valued at Sh61,000.

They then raided a neighboring store, Al-Jazera Wholesalers, where they robbed Kulow Mohamed Hassan of Sh650,000.

A boda boda rider who witnessed the incident attempted to pursue the fleeing gang but was fatally shot near Wema Hotel.

Outraged residents later protested the growing insecurity by placing the victim’s body at the gate of Bumala Police Station. The body was eventually moved to Busia Referral Hospital Mortuary for identification and postmortem.

Based on the gang's consistent pattern of operation, detectives linked the series of violent robberies across the Western region to the same group, although conclusive evidence was still pending.

A breakthrough came on April 7, when detectives from Busia and Nambale, acting on a tip-off, arrested Ramadhan Hussein at Ogallo Market.

During questioning, he admitted to participating in some of the robberies and revealed that he sourced the firearm from his uncle, Anthony Musumba.

A search of Musumba’s house in Mauko village yielded no weapon, but police recovered a National Youth Service sweater and desert boots.

Further progress was made on May 16, when DCI officers arrested Lucas Ouma Oduor and Joseph Luora.

They confessed to being part of the gang, identifying their armed accomplices—two Ugandan nationals known as 'Moha' and 'Sande'—who regularly carried an AK-47 rifle and a pistol, respectively.

The gang was also linked to an April 26 attack in Luuya Bwake Ward, Kiminini, where a police officer from Kachonge Police Post was shot and injured.