Drama in Kitengela as female suspect caught hiding under male trader's bed

Drama unfolded in Kitengela town on Tuesday evening when a robbery suspect was smoked out of a businessman's bedroom in unclear circumstances.

When Mr Harrison Chege dashed out of his cereal shop, which doubles as his bedroom and kitchen, for a short call, he had no idea anyone could sneak in.

But he told nation.africa that when he returned to his shop and went into his bedroom to wash his hands, he saw some legs sticking out from under his bed, prompting him to raise the alarm. He immediately rushed out in a panic.

"My colleagues responded to my distress call and we managed to smoke the suspect out from under the bed. She could not explain her motives," he told nation.africa, adding that the suspect, who runs a general store 200 metres away, barely entered his cereals shop.

The incident attracted dozens of onlookers who jostled for position to take pictures with their mobile phones.

The suspect, however, denied the allegations of theft, insisting that she was forced into the bedroom when she went to ask for money for a soda she had sold to the complainant earlier.

Sobbing

"I had sold him (the complainant) a soda and I went to get the money. He questioned my prayer partners who had visited my shop earlier before pushing me into his bedroom and raising the alarm. I'm not a thief," she said, sobbing.

Members of the public, however, doubted her version of the story, given that she had not raised an alarm during the alleged altercation with the complainant, despite the area being busy.

They also wondered why she had left her shop doors closed if she had just run a few metres away to get her money, as she claimed.

"It is not clear how she got into the man's bedroom in broad daylight. It's not right for members of the public to attack such a person, but she might have had a sinister motive," said Mary Mworia, a trader.

Plainclothes officers from Kitengela police station struggled to control the crowd as they tried to get a glimpse of the suspect.

The situation at Kitengela police station took another turn when the suspect charged at the complainant leaving the officers in utter disbelief.

She was locked up for the night and is expected to be charged later on Wednesday.