KISUMU, KENYA – A 21-year-old armed suspect was arrested in Kisumu’s Central Business District in the early hours of Tuesday, October 28, 2025, following a dramatic shootout with police officers on patrol. The confrontation, which sent pedestrians fleeing for safety, ended with the recovery of an AK-47 assault rifle and ammunition. The incident underscores the persistent challenges of armed crime facing urban centers and the intensified efforts by security agencies to restore order.

The event began when officers from the Kisumu Central patrol team, Delta Sierra, heard a gunshot near the Patel Samaj Temple along Otieno Oyoo Street. According to Kisumu Central Deputy Sub-County Police Commandant Bakari Mwanauli, officers responded immediately and found that a security guard, Bernard Onyango, had been accosted, tied up, and robbed of his mobile phone.

Upon spotting the approaching police, the suspect, identified as Kelvin Oduor, also known as 'Kevo', opened fire, prompting an exchange with the officers. Oduor then fled into the Patel Samaj building, eventually hiding inside a water tank on the rooftop in a tense standoff before a special response team managed to flush him out and subdue him.

Heightened Security Concerns

Police recovered an AK-47 rifle (serial number 94883) loaded with five rounds of ammunition and also found a spent cartridge at the scene. Mwanauli confirmed that Oduor is being held at Kisumu Central Police Station for interrogation by detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) and will be arraigned in court pending the completion of investigations. Authorities are also pursuing two accomplices who are believed to have escaped during the initial confrontation.

This shootout is not an isolated event but part of a broader pattern of rising insecurity that has alarmed residents and business owners in Kisumu. In recent months, security agencies have intensified operations targeting organized criminal gangs responsible for extortion, robberies, and harassment. In September 2025, Nyanza Regional Commissioner Flora Mworoa confirmed the arrest of five gang members and vowed that authorities would dismantle their networks. The Tuesday incident signals that illegal firearms remain a significant threat in the region.

Context of Regional Crime Operations

The arrest comes just days after DCI detectives in Kisumu East recovered a Jericho pistol and arrested four suspects in the Mbeme informal settlement. That firearm had been stolen from a GSU officer attached to the security detail of Kakamega Governor Fernandes Barasa during the funeral of former Prime Minister Raila Odinga on October 19, 2025. The recovery of such high-profile stolen weapons highlights the success of intelligence-led operations and the critical role of public tip-offs in combating crime.

These operations are consistent with the nationwide 'Operation Maliza Uhalifu' (Operation End Crime), an initiative aimed at restoring security in troubled regions across Kenya. Interior Cabinet Secretary Kithure Kindiki has previously noted the success of the operation in disarming communities and restoring peace, particularly in the North Rift. The recent events in Kisumu suggest a focused effort to apply similar pressure on criminal elements in the Nyanza region.

Deputy OCPD Mwanauli commended the patrol team for their swift and professional response, which prevented casualties. He reassured the public, stating, "We are intensifying operations within the CBD to ensure such incidents are curtailed and residents feel safe to go about their business." As investigations continue, the focus will be on determining the source of the recovered AK-47 and whether it is linked to other violent crimes in the city.