Arrest killer gang, boda boda operators in Nanyuki tell police
Meru County Commissioner Fred Ndunga presents safety gear to a rider during a boda boda riders sensitisation forum by Kenya Roads Board in Meru town on February 23, 2023. Boda boda riders in Laikipia want police to arrest a killer gang targeting them.
A boda boda operator has been killed and his motorcycle stolen by gangsters posing as customers in Nanyuki town, Laikipia County.
The body of Yusuf Mohammed was found on the Nanyuki-Rumuruti road on Tuesday morning, after he left Nanyuki with two men who had hired him to take them to Jua Kali shopping centre.
Police said they suspect the boda boda rider was attacked and killed by the two men, whose mission was to steal his motorcycle.
“The body of the boda boda operator had a deep wound on the head, suggesting he was attacked with a knife or another sharp object. There was signs of a struggle at the scene where the body was found,” said Laikipia East sub-county Police Commander John Tarus.
Soon after a report was made to the police, they tracked the stolen motorcycle to Segera ward before the signal disappeared.
“We suspect these are professional thieves who dismantled the motorcycle tracking system upon realising they were being followed. But DCI officers have launched investigations and we are certain they will be apprehended soon,” said the police boss.
Mohammed’s colleagues expressed fear over increasing motorcycle thefts in the region and called on the police to speed up their investigations and bring the culprits to book.
“Incidents of motorcycle theft have declined in Laikipia. We are now worried that some gangsters are not only stealing but killing innocent people trying to make decent earnings,” noted Mr Stanley Afondo, a friend and a colleague of the deceased.
Mr Afondo said he retired early on Monday night and left Mohammed at their stage, only to learn of his killing the following day.
Mohammed, a father of two, bought the motorcycle two months ago and was still servicing the loan. We do not understand why the thieves normally target new motorcycle bought on loan and I highly suspect there could be a collusion between the criminals and some motorcycle dealers,” said Mr Afondo.
The chairman of Laikipia County Boda Boda Operators Association Cyrus Kimathi condoled with the bereaved family and asked security officers to move fast and arrest the culprits before other operators lose lives in a similar manner.
“While I request my colleague to take great care while operating late at night, my appeal is to security organs to move fast, arrest and prosecute the culprits,” said Mr Kimathi.
