Suspected gangsters in custody after killing accomplice in dispute over stolen phone

The two murder suspects in the dock at the Makadara Law Courts. (Photo: Joseph Ndunda, EV)

By Joseph Ndunda
Wednesday, July 2, 2025

Police are holding two suspected gangsters who allegedly stabbed and killed their accomplice during a fight over a mobile phone they had stolen in Eastleigh, Nairobi.

Abdifatah Abdirashid Abdulahi and Abdirahman Mahamud Noor are in custody at Pangani Police Station, where the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) is probing a case of murder contrary to Section 203 as read with Section 204 of the Penal Code. They are accused of killing Bashir Omar, alias Kwachacha.

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The deceased succumbed to his injuries while undergoing treatment at Nairobi East Hospital, having sustained stab wounds during the altercation with the two suspects.

Detective Constable Suleiman Mwatajiri obtained orders from the Makadara Law Courts to detain the two suspects for 21 days to allow for investigations.

In an affidavit filed in court, Mwatajiri stated that the incident was reported at Eastleigh North Police Station on June 26 by the deceased's father, Hassan Omar, and was booked in the Occurrence Book (OB) under reference number 12/26/6/2025.

“Police officers rushed to the scene and established that the deceased had been stabbed by a fellow gang member during a disagreement over a mobile phone they had snatched from a member of the public. He was rushed to hospital but was pronounced dead on arrival,” Mwatajiri said.

“Preliminary investigations led to the arrest of Abdifatah and Abdirahman on June 27, 2025 at Riverside Lodge in Eastleigh. They were initially held at Eastleigh North Police Station before being transferred to Pangani Police Station under OB reference 116/27/06/2025.”

Mwatajiri added that another suspect, identified as Mohamed alias Moha Silver and linked to the murder, was arrested in Kakuma, Turkana County, while attempting to flee to Uganda.

The detective noted that investigations are still ongoing, with several crucial areas yet to be covered. These include interrogating the suspects and recording their statements, taking statements from prosecution witnesses, and submitting the recovered mobile phones to the forensic lab at DCI headquarters for analysis.

Other pending steps include transferring the suspect detained at Kakuma Police Station, tracing other gang members who are still at large, recovering the murder weapon, and retrieving CCTV footage from the crime scene.

Principal Magistrate Gilbert Shikwe granted the detention orders.

The case will be mentioned on July 21, by which time the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) is expected to have reviewed the investigation file and made a decision.