Police are looking for a gang of four suspected robbers posing as passengers and operating along Mombasa road that has committed at least five robberies in the last three days.

Authorities have also warned hitch-hikers and motorists who offer lifts to strangers to be wary of the dangers they are exposing themselves to, following the recent cases where victims were robbed as they either gave lifts to strangers or were offered a lift by unknown motorists. The gang, believed to be the same, has stolen two vehicles, a Subaru Forester and unregistered Toyota, both destined for Kampala within the same period, along the 10km stretch between Kyumbi and Lukenya in Machakos County.

In almost all the cases, the gang members have posed as passengers and later turn out to be robbers, according to police reports.
On Thursday, Abugi Siz was driving from Mombasa to Kampala when he was attacked by three passengers he had carried in the Subaru Forester he was to deliver to a client in Kampala. On approaching the dual carriageway near Kyumbi, the three tied his hands and took control of the vehicle and later abandoned him in a bush near Shell petrol station.

The previous day, on Wednesday, Muta Konde was also robbed of his unregistered motor vehicle around Lukenya along Mombasa road. Konde had picked one of the passengers in Voi and three others in Kibwezi. On reaching Lukenya, one of the passengers asked the driver to stop so that he could relieve himself.

“Immediately the vehicle stopped, the passengers attacked and overpowered him before taking control of the vehicle. They drove towards Nairobi but the passenger who boarded the vehicle at Voi managed to jump out of the moving vehicle as the vehicle made a U-turn to head back towards Mombasa general direction.

“The robbers tied the driver with a manila rope and robbed him of his mobile phone and other personal belongings before throwing him out of the vehicles as they drove away,” police said.

The victim was later rescued by Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) who were on duty along the highway who then escorted him to the Athi River police station.

In another case on Monday, Gregory Mwanzau Musa was also robbed of Sh114,050, a mobile phone and a watch by a gang of four robbers within Lukenya area. Mwanzau had boarded a blue Toyota Wish registration number KCH 395R at Cabanas in Embakasi and the occupants claimed they were going to Sultan Hamud.

On reaching Lukenya, the four other occupants turned out to be robbers and attacked him before robbing him of the cash.
He sustained injuries on the neck, chest, legs and hands. He reported the matter to the police and one suspect identified as Wilson Otalo was arrested and charged in court.