Police officers in Kitale, Trans Nzoia County have arrested three suspects linked to a robbery with violence incident that occurred in the early hours of Saturday morning near Kitale Bus Park.
According to investigators from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations, the attack was reported by the victim who said he was confronted at around 5:00 a.m. on 14 March 2026 by three men riding a red TVS motorcycle with registration number KMEW 083C.
The assailants, armed with knives and pangas, reportedly descended on him and robbed him of several items including a Tecno Camon 40 mobile phone, a laptop, spanners and a car control computer that had been packed in a black bag.
During the brief but violent encounter, the victim sustained minor injuries to his face and hands as he attempted to resist the attackers. The suspects reportedly fled the scene immediately after the robbery.
Officers from Kitale Police Station responded swiftly after receiving the report and launched an operation to trace the suspects. Police managed to intercept the motorcycle at Laini Moja, where the rider identified as Alex Inanga was arrested.
Following his arrest and interrogation, officers were led to Mitume, where two alleged accomplices — John Ekai also known as Steve, and Richard Andaa also known as Riche — were reportedly found asleep inside a mud house. The two were immediately arrested.
Police conducted a search of the house and recovered a black bag containing the stolen Tecno Camon 40 mobile phone, spanners and a penknife believed to have been used during the robbery. Authorities confirmed that the items were later positively identified by the victim.
The victim was taken to Kijana Wamalwa Teaching and Referral Hospital where he received treatment for minor injuries before being discharged in stable condition.
The three suspects remain in police custody and are expected to be formally charged with robbery with violence, a serious offence under Kenyan law that carries severe penalties upon conviction.
The incident in Kitale adds to a series of similar robbery cases reported across Kenya in recent months, particularly in busy transport hubs and urban trading centres where criminals often target early-morning commuters and traders.
In Nairobi, police recently dismantled a robbery gang operating around bus terminals in the central business district where suspects were accused of attacking pedestrians during early morning hours before escaping on motorcycles.
A separate operation in Eldoret earlier this year led to the arrest of suspects linked to violent robberies targeting travellers near matatu stages and bus parks, highlighting a pattern where criminals exploit crowded transit areas.
Security agencies say motorcycle-assisted robberies have increasingly become a challenge in urban centres because the suspects can quickly escape through narrow roads and residential neighbourhoods.
The Directorate of Criminal Investigations has reiterated its commitment to tracking down perpetrators of violent crime and urged members of the public to report suspicious activities.
