3 arrested over police-impersonation robberies in Nairobi
By Emmanuel Rono, April 27, 2026Three persons of interest linked to a series of violent robberies targeting motorists along Mombasa Road and its environs have been arrested in a coordinated operation by detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI).
According to a statement by the DCI on Monday, April 27, 2026, the arrests were carried out by officers from the Crime Research and Intelligence Bureau (CRIB) and the Operation Action Team (OAT), following weeks of investigations into incidents where victims were ambushed by criminals posing as police officers.
According to investigators, the gang executed multiple robberies using similar tactics, often flagging down unsuspecting motorists while dressed in police uniforms and reflector jackets.
“A team of detectives from the DCI headquarters’ Crime Research and Intelligence Bureau (CRIB) and the Operation Action Team (OAT) has apprehended three individuals infamous for a string of robberies in Nairobi and its surrounding areas,” DCI stated in a post.
Previous robberies
According to the report, in one incident reported on January 23, 2026, a Chinese national was robbed of Ksh 2.14 million while driving along Kyang’ombe on Old Mombasa Road.
The victim was stopped by two men in a vehicle who appeared to be traffic police officers. After demanding her driving licence, the suspects seized her car and fled with the cash she had withdrawn from two banks along Mombasa Road.
In a separate case on March 17, 2026, a businessman was ambushed shortly after withdrawing Ksh4.2 million from Equity Bank Utawala branch.
The attackers, dressed in blue police uniforms and armed with pistols, accused him of trafficking narcotics, handcuffed him and forced him into their vehicle before robbing him and dumping him in Karen.
Another victim lost Ksh1.4 million after being intercepted near Cabanas Interchange while on a motorcycle.
The investigators noted that the gang forced her into their vehicle, blindfolded her and later abandoned her near Komarock in Utawala after stealing the money and mobile phones.
How they were napped
Following forensic analysis and intelligence leads, detectives arrested three persons of interest in separate operations along Lusaka Road, Dandora Phase IV and Kalawa in Makueni County.
Police recovered a Mazda CX-5 believed to have been used in the robberies, as well as items linked to the crimes, including reflector jackets and a military jungle hat.
“Upon their arrest, authorities recovered their getaway vehicle, a Mazda CX-5, along with a military jungle hat and three reflector jackets. It has become clear that these persons of interest are part of a larger, more organised gang that frequently alters the number plates of their escape vehicle to evade arrest,” DCI said in a post.
The trio remains in custody pending arraignment, as detectives continue to pursue other members of the gang still at large.