A gang raided a coffee factory in Meru and killed a night guard before escaping with 59 bags of the product valued at Sh2 million.
Police said the gang raided Gaciege Coffee Factory and held two guards on duty before killing one of them in the Monday morning drams.
According to police, the gang was armed with crude weapons and had arrived aboard a lorry that they used to ferry the product out of the factory stores.
Police said the gang stormed the coffee factory through the back entrance and found a night guard while praying and ordered him to stop.
He screamed for help to alert his colleague identified as Patrick Bundi without knowing he was under the captivity of the gang.
Bundi who was manning the alarm system was later clobbered to death.
They were both assaulted and tied on both hands and legs and were bungled into the factory store.
The assailants went ahead and loaded 59 coffee bags containing 2.9 tons of coffee approximately valued at Sh2 million into an awaiting lorry and escaped.
The injured guard was rescued by members of the public, who were passing by after they heard him screaming at around 8 am and rushed him to Meru Level Five Hospital while complaining of neck and chest pain.
The body was removed to Meru County Hospital Mortuary awaiting autopsy.
Police said they are investigating the tragedy with the intention of arresting the suspects behind the same.
Such incidents are on the rise in the area amid operations to address the trend.
The stolen products are later sold to the ready market.
Meanwhile, two police officers were injured as they fought off looters at an accident scene in Kambiti area, Muranga County.
Police said a lorry carrying an unknown number of Keg barrels from Nairobi to Makutano general direction overturned and sprawled the drinks on the road.
This is after the lorry had a tyre burst.
Locals rushed to the scene and started to loot the product as police were called to help contain the situation.
The police at the scene said they were overwhelmed and the cargo was looted since reinforcements from Makuyu police station could not access the scene due to the heavy traffic that ensued as a result of the accident.
In the process, two officers sustained slight injuries after being hit with stones in the head and leg.
They later stepped back and allowed the looting to continue.
The vehicle was later towed to the station clearing the traffic jam.
