Gunfight and siege in Kenya as police foil bank robbery

KISUMU, Kenya (Reuters) – Kenyan police firing automatic rifles and pistols laid siege to gunmen trying to rob a bank in the western city of Kisumu on Tuesday, foiling a heist but failing to prevent the assailants’ escape after the five-hour confrontation.

Pictures of the incident at a branch of Equity Bank showed officers climbing though the bank’s windows with guns drawn to try to subdue the raiders, while outside the bank a crowd gathered, oblivious to the sound of gunfire.

Magu Mutindika, Nyanza Regional Commissioner, said at the end of the siege that officers were interrogating some customers and staff who had been evacuated to establish what happened.

The officers will also search CCTV footage for details of how the suspected robbers made their way into the bank, he said.

“We have found a shirt and we suspect the owner of the shirt may be among those at the police station. If we get him, he will give us more leads,” Mutindika told reporters outside the bank.

“If we find anybody who was involved in this act, appropriate legal action is going to be taken.”

(Writing by George Obulutsa, Editing by William Maclean)