Police kills Kifeesi gang member, injures 3 in shootout

Police has gunned down a suspected member of the notorious 'Kifeesi' group in an operation in Kisenyi, a surburb of Kampala last evening.

The Kifeesi gang is known to operate in groups of not less than fifteen people mainly in the Kampala Central Business District who besiege a carefully scouted area on the streets and execute daring robberies that don't last more than 10 minutes.

The shooting followed attempts by Old Kampala Police to arrest one of gang's members. Police was blocked as it led the man away into custody but the officers were surrounded by thugs who blocked police.

A member of the gang picked a brick and hit one of the police officers who reportedly collapsed unconscious.

One of the thugs then attempted to seize the stricken police officer's gun.

Another officer then wrestled the gun from the man and fired at the thugs injuring three and killing one instantly.

How Kifeesi operates

Comprising of a gang of not less than 15 youthful and energetic men, their trademark dress code is long sleeved shirts with the left hand folded. They sometimes move in vehicles or bodabodas that drop them off in their targeted spot.

They move in a ‘V' formation with their leader at the head when they are about to strike.

Their leader will then whistle out loudly signaling that it is time to strike and in not more than 10 minutes people lose handbags, phones, cash and other valuables. How the thugs vanish thereafter is perhaps their most unnerving method of operation as it is nearly impossible to trace them.

They do not abandon anyone on the 'battlefield' and will devise any means to rescue anyone who might get caught.

They are reported to have an intelligence gathering crew that will first rake an area and map out possible escape routes before they report to their superiors who then debrief the thugs on how the mission will be executed.