Nairobi — A police officer was killed by gangsters Sunday as he tried to foil a robbery at a shop in Nairobi's Ronald Ngala Street.

The gang of four men armed with two pistols had raided the general merchandise shop and held it's owner and workers hostage for about 15 minutes before the officer arrived a few minutes past noon.

Immediately the officer entered the shop, one of the gangsters shot him on the head. The gang escaped with more than Sh 60,000.

Central division deputy police commander Richard Mugwai said the officer was on routine patrol together with other colleagues. "Hawkers outside the shop noticed the robbery and alerted the officer. But he dashed into the shop without alerting his colleagues. He was shot at a close range," he said.

Mr Dilip Shah, the owner, said the gangsters emptied the cash trays and took the tax register machine and a cell phone.

Other officers who responded to the shooting found their colleague's AK-47 assault rifle still in his hand as he lay motionless on the floor. "He had not fired a single shot," Mr Mugwai said.