Three suspects have been arrested in connection with the armed robbery at Chaiiwali Restaurant on General Mathenge Road in Nairobi’s Westlands area, where armed men stole valuables from customers before fleeing on motorcycles earlier this month.

In a statement issued on Tuesday, the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) said the arrests were made during an intelligence-led operation conducted by detectives from DCI Headquarters at an apartment in Githurai Mwiki, where the suspects were allegedly hiding.

The suspects were identified as Edison Mukama alias Musa Abdul, a 22-year-old Rwandan national, Adens Kikanga, 25, and John Njuguna Githinji, 25. According to the DCI, a fourth suspect, described as a female accomplice, escaped during the operation and remains at large.

The agency said the three suspects attempted to flee after noticing the detectives.

“Sensing the detectives’ presence, the trio attempted to escape through the rear of the building by climbing down from the sixth floor. Their bid for freedom was cut short after alert members of the public raised the alarm, enabling detectives to swiftly apprehend them,” the DCI said.

Following the arrests, detectives searched a residence linked to the suspects in the Githurai Kimbo area of Manguo and recovered two pistols.

According to the DCI, officers recovered a Mini Beretta pistol loaded with three rounds of 9mm ammunition and a Retay Falcon pistol loaded with five rounds of 9mm ammunition.

The agency said the firearms have been forwarded to the National Police Service Forensic Laboratory for ballistic examination to establish whether they were used in the Chaiiwali robbery or in any other reported violent crime.

“The recovered firearms will undergo forensic examination at the National Police Service Forensic Laboratory to establish whether they were used in the Chaiiwali robbery or any other violent crimes,” the DCI stated.

The arrests are linked to the robbery reported on July 4, 2026, when armed men entered Chaiiwali Restaurant, threatened customers and staff, and stole mobile phones and other personal belongings. CCTV footage from the incident showed the suspects moving through the restaurant while armed before leaving the scene on motorcycles. The footage also appeared to show gunshots being fired into the air as the suspects fled.

The DCI said preliminary investigations have linked the three suspects to the incident. However, the agency did not disclose the nature of the evidence connecting them to the robbery, and the allegations have not been tested in court.

The three suspects remain in police custody as investigations continue. Detectives are also pursuing the female suspect who escaped during the operation and are investigating whether other individuals were involved in planning or carrying out the robbery.

The outcome of the forensic examination of the recovered firearms is expected to form part of the investigation. Authorities have indicated that the ballistic analysis will help determine whether the weapons can be linked to the Chaiiwali robbery or to any other criminal cases under investigation.