Police in Nairobi have detained a man suspected of being the leader of a criminal gang in Siaya County.

According to a statement from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), Edward Wanyama, alias Abu Naiyah, was detained in the Dandora slums after a tip-off from public members who identified his whereabouts.



"Edward was arrested while in a hide-out within Nairobi's Dandora slum on Friday 26 January 2024," the Kenyan police announced in a statement.

The 34-year-old is suspected of orchestrating an incident that killed one police officer and injured another in the Mahero district of Siaya County during last year's KCSE exams.

“Edward Wanyama was the leader of the gang and mastermind of the Siaya attack, where a police officer was killed and another was injured and robbed of their rifles as they escorted examination papers to Mahero Secondary School in Alego Usonga Sub-County in Siaya County on 20 November 2023,” the statement reads.

PHOTO | COURTESY police line

Police had previously issued the identities and images of Naliyah and his accomplices, including Edwin Omondi alias Rashid, Simon Ouma alias Ali Baba, Salim Jackoyo, and Hasting Omondi, and urged the public to provide information that could lead to their arrest.

 Omondi has already been detained, and detectives have been granted 25 days to keep him pending the completion of investigations.

 Authorities have asked the other suspects to surrender to the local police station.