Police hunt for thugs who killed two traders at Adams Market

Police in Kilimani have launched a manhunt for two robbers who shot dead two traders at Adams Market in Nairobi on Saturday.

Sophia Gathoni and Paul Githinji were killed by the armed robbers who had targeted M-Pesa agents in the busy market before their plan was disrupted by Gathoni who fought them off.

The incident happened on the same night that a gang of six terrorized residents of Kandisi in Rongai, raising questions on the status of security in the capital and outlying areas.

On the said night, the 53-year-old Gathoni was captured on CCTV camera preparing to close her shop at around 7pm.

She is heard conversing with a customer who wants to buy cigarettes and she directs him to another shop. Little did she know that the man was on a different mission.

The man accosts Gathoni when she gets into her shop and points a pistol before shooting. His colleague tries to force his way in but Gathoni fights him off.

In the process, the armed robber shoots her again and she falls down. Curious traders rush to her shop to rescue her.

“Within a fraction of a second there were screams, people screaming saying ‘wezi wezi’…when I lifted my head because I’m opposite direct to the scene, I saw two guys rushing out running and as they run they were shooting in the air,” said a witness.

A few meters from Gathoni’s shop, the robbers allegedly shot dead another trader, Paul Githinji, who was responding to the distress call before they disappeared.

“I met with women screaming ‘Mugo Mugo’, I realized that is my friend so I realized he had gone to buy some fruits and I rushed there and found him bleeding from the head and mouth,” added the witness.

Gathoni and Githinji were rushed to Nairobi Women’s Hospital, which is about 40 meters away from the scene. Githinji died hours later while Gathoni was admitted at the Intensive Care Unit where she succumbed to her injuries on Tuesday.

Eric Kamau, Gathoni's son, said: “According to the postmortem, she received multiple gun shots; moja ilipita through mkono ika exit, ika re-enter tena through kifua, ikaenda ikapass through the lungs, liver na ika-exit. Hiyo ingine ikaenda ikaland nyuma ya mgongo.”

Police have taken bullets removed from the bodies to the National Forensic Laboratory for ballistic examination.

The family has already recorded a statement at Kilimani Police Station, with the Police Commander Andrew Mbogo saying detectives are investigating the incident although no suspect has been arrested so far.