Mission camps in Kajiado, Machakos and Makueni counties have in recent months faced a series of violent robberies that left residents in fear and security officers under pressure to respond.
The situation escalated earlier this month when attackers dressed in police uniforms stormed the Korean Mission Camp in Elerai, Mashuuru Sub-County, leaving a watchman dead.
That incident pushed investigators from the Crime Research and Intelligence Bureau to mount a thorough manhunt which has now led to the arrest of six suspects believed to be behind the crimes.
The suspects, identified as Muoki Mulee, Ambrose Mutuku, Dominic Moenga Mwambi, Joseph Mamai, Gideon Nyaga Njeri and Alex Mwaura Waweru, were arrested in different places across Machakos and Kajiado.
Two of them, Muoki and Ambrose, were picked up in Kitengela and near Machakos Junction, while the rest were captured in Kantafu, Matungulu Sub-County.
According to detectives, the group had a common pattern of disguising themselves as police officers by wearing jungle fatigues while armed with crude weapons to raid mission centers and unsuspecting residents.
The Directorate of Criminal Investigations explained that the gang’s most recent crime happened on August 8, 2025.
They forcefully entered the Korean Mission Camp at night, leaving behind destruction and the fatal injury of a guard who tried to resist them.
The raid mirrored similar attacks reported in areas such as Kimana, Mashuru and Wote, where groups fitting the same description had caused fear among missionaries and local communities.
When Ambrose Mutuku was questioned, he led officers to his home in Kitulu village, Machakos County.
From there, detectives recovered police jungle uniforms believed to have been used during the raids, alongside Ksh.49,000 in cash.
Investigators later discovered that both Ambrose and Muoki were previously convicted criminals who had been serving sentences at Machakos Prison before their release in December 2024.
Their quick return to crime after release has highlighted long-standing concerns about how ex-convicts are monitored after leaving prison.
The operation also led to the seizure of three vehicles suspected to have been used by the gang to coordinate their movement across counties.
These vehicles are undergoing forensic checks to establish their link to the robberies and whether they were also used in other crimes. All six suspects are now in custody as detectives finalize their investigations.
They are expected to face robbery with violence charges in court. Police say the arrests bring relief to communities and mission institutions that have been living in fear, and further warned that operations against such gangs will continue to ensure safety in the region.
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