Carjackings on the rise as criminals target motorists and buses

PHOTO | WILLIAM OERI | FILE A police officer leads the removal of a body of a taxi driver who was killed by carjackers at Kileleshwa Police Station in April. The driver was shot dead in his car in Kileleshwa.

What you need to know:

  • Victims recount their ordeal in the hands of gun-totting criminals who have been blamed for spate of attacks in key towns

Police have warned Kenyans of a sharp rise in carjackings across the country.

They say most of the attacks are executed by criminals who appear to know their victims.

In Nairobi, most attacks reported in recent weeks occurred at the gates of victims’ homes as they waited to be let it.

Nairobi County Police Commander Benson Kibue said there was also an increase in attacks targeting public service vehicles.

He singled out Citi Hoppa bus company as the most targeted.

Mr Kibue warned crews of bus companies who fail to search passengers that they would be held responsible for any carjackings.

“It is strange that about six armed men can board a bus undetected. Bus crews will be held responsible if it is found that they did not conduct searches on their passengers before boarding,” he said.

On Tuesday night, a Citi Hoppa bus on route number 5 left the city centre full of passengers and on reaching Adams Arcade, five of the passengers produced pistols and robbed the other commuters of cash and valuables.

The driver of the bus, Mr James Nguthiru, has since been interrogated over the incident.

Among the latest victims of carjacking are a United Nations staffer and a bank employee who were attacked in Kiamumbi and Kihara areas respectively. Police say the UN employee was carjacked at the gate of her residence in Kiamumbi at around 8pm by three armed men who took her to a Kenya Commercial Bank ATM in Ruaraka where she was forced to withdraw Sh30,000. They then drove with her to Kayole where they abandoned her with the car after robbing her of her phone and other valuables.

Another employee of a local bank was also carjacked at the gate of his residence and released the following day.

Benard Mwangi, who works StanChart, was confronted at the gate of his home. The gunmen abducted him together with his security guard and drove away in the victim’s Subaru Forester.

On reaching Gathiga area, they dumped the security guard but drove away with Mr Mwangi to an unknown destination.

Others who have been targeted including a pilot working for a local airline and his daughter who were shot and seriously injured at their home in Karen.

Armed men raided the residence of Hussein Mohammed, 50, and demanded that he surrender his firearm, implying that they knew he was a licensed firearm holder.

They then took him upstairs to pick it up. As they were leaving they discovered a security camera in a corner, prompting an argument.

The pilot’s daughter, 19, who was in her room walked out without knowing what was going on. She shouted on seeing the strangers. They responded by shooting her and her father.