The top ten spots where you are most likely to be carjacked and robbed in Nairobi are revealed today (Nov 27, 2013 ). They include the following;

• Adams Arcade matatu stage,
• City stadium roundabout,
• Church Army stage on Jogoo Road,
• Kipande Road,
• Turnoff to Kenya Institute of Mass Communication (KIMC) from Mombasa Road,
• Baba Dogo area,
• Kangundo/Outer Ring road junction,
• Bahati estate,
• Survey of Kenya stage on Thika superhighway and
• Toi market.

And police blame the rising cases of carjackings to collusion between matatu crews and the carjackers.

According to Nairobi County Police Commander Benson Kibue, some crews are conniving with criminals who they pick at selected stages to avoid the security checks at the boarding points.

The gangsters then proceed to commandeer the vehicle, drive it to isolated places where they rob the passengers before disappearing into the darkness.

They rarely harm their victims unless they encounter resistance, police say.

“We have now resorted to detaining the drivers and conductors pending investigations because it is their role to ensure the safety of the passengers,” says Kibue.

In the past two months, 20 drivers and conductors have been arraigned in court and charged with colluding with thieves.

Rogue matatu crew

“We have arrested so many but we could only link 20 directly to the carjacking,” he said.

In the latest case, Margaret Muthoni was in a Githurai 45-bound bus she had boarded in the city centre when four passengers who had been posing as customers suddenly brandished pistols at the Survey stage.

The gang leader, Muthoni recounted, removed a green polythene bag from his back pocket and ordered the more than 40 passengers to drop their phones and money in it, warning of dire consequences against defiance.

She lost a HTC phone worth Sh60,000, Sh3,000 in cash and jewellery before they were dumped in Mwiki.

According to Police, the carjackers dump their victims at selected spots after robbing them of valuables.

Popular dumping sites for the robbers include the bypass near Lenana School, Makaburini area within the sprawling Kibera slums, along Rabai road near the Metropolitan Hospital, Ngomongo slums and within Bahati estate.

Conservative police estimates put the number of carjacked matatus each day at three, but others claim that more than 10 PSV vehicles are hijacked daily.

Source: Nairobi News