Robbers are getting smarter by the day, yesterday’s method has been left for yesterday. In Nairobi’s Central Busines District (CBD) have reportedly devised a new scheme whereby they mug unsuspecting passengers, pedestrians and shoppers leaving retail outlets off their valuables.
According to one of the victims, Gerald Okoth, many of the criminals purport to be PSV touts and are usually armed with knives and guns.
Speaking to The Star, Okoth revealed that he was accosted by six men along Haile Selassie Avenue after alighting from a South B matatu.
“They started by asking my destination as they usually do, mentioning – Kisii, Migori, Kilgoris – while another was mentioning Siaya, Homa Bay and Kisumu,” Okoth stated.
“One of them grabbed my luggage while the another attempted to take my backpack as we walked towards Machakos Country bus station, but I resisted. I was threatened with a knife and something looking like a pistol. That was when I knew I was being robbed. They took everything,” he divulged.
Another victim Violet Mutindi disclosed that she was accosted near Naivas supermarket on Ronald Ngala street after shopping.
The muggers grabbed her luggage from the trolley claiming she was their customer travelling to Kajiado and that their matatu needed only two passengers. They gave the trolley pusher Ksh50 to let go of Mutindi’s luggage.
Commenting on the issue, Nairobi security executive Tito Kilonzi was adamant that persons attempting to scout for passengers illegally will be arrested.
“If you go to our general store you will find that place is full of these people who have contravened the rules on PSV transport management,” he stated.
“I’m going to share this with the OCPD (Central Police Station) and the OCS (Kamukunji Police Station), that we have wayward elements in the CBD who are extorting people and we are going to deal with them,” Kilonzi added.
According to Nairobi police commander Philip Ndolo, “Nobody can finish everything 100 per cent. We will keep on arresting people who will continue committing violations”.