Kenyan police on Tuesday killed the most wanted criminal believed to be behind the recent spate of robberies, carjackings and murders in the country.

Head of police operations in Nairobi, Julius Ndegwa, said Simon Matheri Ikere was gunned down early Tuesday in his hideout in Athi River, about 40 km east of Nairobi, under a hail of bullets.

"Mathere was gunned down at 2 a.m. (2300 GMT on Monday) this morning in Athi River when the police stormed his hideout. We killed him together with his accomplice," Ndegwa told Xinhua by telephone.

Matheri, wanted over a series of murders and robberies within Nairobi and its environs, was killed alongside his accomplice, after a nightlong ambush by police.

His wife Felistas Wanjiru positively identified him and police have recovered an AK-47 rifle with 26 rounds of ammunition from the slain gangster.

Police said Matheri has been behind the killings of a regional director for the aid agency CARE on Jan. 26, two American women related to U.S. embassy on Jan. 27, and a top Kenyan AIDS researcher on Feb. 4 this year.

The killings came barely a week after diplomats accredited to Kenya have voiced strong concerns over the rising wave of crime in the east African country, warning that continued lack of personal safety was an obstacle to democratic elections due this year.

Kenya is preparing for presidential and parliamentary elections in December this year.

Source: Xinhua