Nairobi — A shop assistant was killed and a businessman seriously injured when gangsters unleashed terror in Nairobi City Centre on Tuesday afternoon.

Six gangsters robbed shops on Nairobi's Kaunda Street and Kenyatta Avenue. They fired their guns as they dashed through Wabera Street, Banda, Kimathi and later Biashara streets before escaping.

On Tuesday, three premises were raided and a police officer mugged in two hours.

Ran in circles

Some gang members walked towards Tom Mboya Street as police ran in circles searching for them.

After the robbery at Kant's shop on Kaunda Street, the gangsters walked a block away to an electronics shop next to The Stanley Hotel where they shot dead a shop attendant before robbing the shop and walking away.

However, as the gang was escaping from Kenyatta Avenue, they bumped into police officers on patrol on Banda Street and ran in different directions.

One of them was seen tucking his gun in his trousers on Kimathi Street before disappearing towards Biashara Street.

On Biashara Street, the gangsters are said to have shot and killed a shop attendant as they engaged police in a shoot-out for 30 minutes.

A witness said the robber who killed the worker intimidated three police officers who were pursuing him as they had pistols while he had an AK- 47 rifle.

The victim is said to have been a worker at Kashmir Crafts, which the gang wanted to rob.

"He tried to run away after he realised thugs had stormed the shop and a thug who was keeping vigil outside killed him. I tried to alert a watchman to no avail as he walked confidently down Muindi Mbingu Street," a witness said.

He said the gangster wore a short-sleeved white shirt and carried himself confidently.

The afternoon incident affected businesses and operations on Muindi Mbingu, Banda, Kimathi and Biashara streets and Kenyatta Avenue.

Pedestrians scampered for safety and hid under vehicles and in buildings as gunfire rent the air. Some people were injured in the melee.

Another witness said a middle-aged gangster drew a gun when he realised he was being trailed by police officers.

"He shot in the air three times before he disappeared," he said, adding: "We did not know what was going on. Everything happened so fast."

Meanwhile, a suspected mugger was arrested on Muindi Mbingu Street after he and his accomplices robbed a police officer of Sh300,000.

Upcountry

The officer, who had arrived from upcountry, had just withdrawn the money from a bank on Kaunda Street when he was trailed by the muggers to Muindi Mbingu Street and robbed of the cash.

However, the officer grabbed one of them and recovered Sh100,000. The accomplice escaped with Sh200,000.

The deputy officer commanding Central police division, Mr Richard Mugwai, who visited all the victims, did not talk to journalists when they sought his views on the incidents.

In recent weeks, police have adamantly denied claims of rising cases of crime in the city, describing them as 'normal'.