A sombre mood has engulfed the Huruma estate in Nairobi as residents mourn two of their own, brothers OJ and Warner, who were shot and killed by police along Moi Avenue on Tuesday, December 9. The incident, which police describe as the conclusion of a robbery, has left a community grappling with the loss of familiar faces while confronting a grim police report.

The shooting raises urgent questions for Nairobi residents about the line between robust policing and extrajudicial force, particularly as the city enters the festive season. For the people of Huruma, it hits closer to home: how do young men they knew end up dead in the city centre, and does the official narrative tell the whole story?

A Midday Confrontation, A Deadly Outcome

The fatal encounter unfolded near the bustling junction of Moi and Kenyatta Avenues. According to police and some witness accounts, a group of five to eight men attacked a man who had just left a bank, robbing him of what is reported to be KES 300,000. Plainclothes officers, who stated they had been monitoring the gang's activities, intervened.

In the ensuing chase, officers opened fire, killing OJ and Warner. The remaining suspects escaped into the panicked crowds, triggering a manhunt that is still underway, according to Central Police Commander Stephene Nyakombo. Police later noted they recovered knives and mobile phones from the scene.

A Community's Complicated Grief

While authorities have labelled the deceased as criminals, the community response, amplified by local entertainer DJ Katta, paints a more nuanced picture. Katta, who said he grew up with the brothers in Huruma Flats, led residents in a vigil and a memorial football match on Thursday, December 18. In an emotional social media post, he mourned the two, not as suspects, but as young men he knew personally.

"Today my heart is heavy. Warner and OJ ni wasee tulikulia nao mtaa," he wrote, adding that he would not judge the path they took but would remember the bond they shared. This sentiment reflects a community caught between the police's serious allegations and the memory of the young men they watched grow up. The vigil saw residents light candles around a portrait of the brothers, a testament to a grief that exists alongside the official investigation.

• The Incident: A reported robbery on Tuesday, December 9, 2025, near Moi and Kenyatta Avenues.
• The Deceased: Two brothers from Huruma, identified as OJ and Warner.
• The Allegation: Police state they were part of a gang that robbed a man of KES 300,000.
• The Aftermath: A police manhunt for three other suspects is ongoing.

This incident is the latest in a worrying trend of daylight robberies in the CBD, often targeting bank customers. As police intensify patrols for the festive season, the deaths of OJ and Warner serve as a stark reminder of the social pressures and cycles of violence that continue to claim the lives of Nairobi's youth.