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AT least 5 people died in a shootout on Monday July 14 between police and suspected robbers outside a hotel in Nairobi, Kenya’s capital.

Deputy police spokesperson Mr Charles Owino said the shootout which happened in a parking area used by Holiday Inn hotel and the Mayfair Casino, claimed lives of three suspected robbers and two casino employees who were caught in crossfire. Violent crime has long been a problem in Kenya’s capital, which residents have nicknamed “Nairobbery”, but Kenyan government is still battling to curb high occurrences despite residents call.

“We were very lucky there were not many guests around,” said Paul Norman, general manager of Holiday Inn. He said the hotel’s security service had immediately put up safety gates to prevent anyone from entering the crime scene. The hotel and casino are in the residential Parklands area of Nairobi, near two shopping malls and upscale homes, a public place which also hosts their parking lots. Lydia Ayuma said her husband, Zedekiah Imbote (37), was a security guard at the casino and was killed in the crossfire.

“He was not a bully. He was a normal man,” she said. Last week Kenyan finance minister had resigned following the controversial sale of the hotel which has split the coalition cabinet into two factions, threatening stability of a unity government which was formed to end weeks of violence following Kenya’s presidential election. Kenya, which is still recovering from a political instability following the disputed December presidential elections, like the rest of the continent, is been frustrated by poverty and corruption including the soaring robbery incidents.

More than 1,300 people were killed and hundreds of thousands displaced during weeks of bloodshed. Kenya lost up to $1billion this year because of the turmoil, which damaged the country’s vital tourism industry.

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