Residents of Thika Town have raised concerns over increased cases of muggings, conning and robberies which they say are happening in broad daylight.
Majority of the victims are women whose handbags have been snatched from them, especially around the town’s Section 9.
The thugs are posing as pillion passengers in boda bodas.
Some of the thugs also operate along the busy streets of the town during rush hours when people are going home from work.
“I’ve realised that my bag’s zip always gets opened when I am heading home. This happens most of the times on the corridors outside Kassmart Supermarket and Macvast Hotel where the thugs disguise as passers-by in the rush hour commotion and steal from those rushing to board matatus on their way home,” said Teresa Wambui, a victim.
A local politician was Wednesday robbed of her phone and her son’s medication by thugs who waylaid her outside a private clinic at the town.
“I went to board my car after buying my son some medicine but before I could start on the ignition, I heard someone knock on my car window but [as I opened] the right door, the left door flung open and a thug took away everything I had placed on the passenger seat. That is how I lost my phone and my son’s medication all valued at Sh23,100,” said Ms Gladys Chania.
In another incident that still happened Wednesday, an electronics shop attendant was robbed off 10 hard disks valued at Sh140,000 at the Thika lands office.
“I got a call from my boss who is in Kilifi instructing me to supply 10 hard disks to a client who had called him. The man had introduced himself as a county government official working in the physical planning department,” recalled Alexander Kimani, an attendant at Simkan Agencies in Thika Town.
The plan was to have Kimani deliver the 10 Transcend hard disks to the lands office immediately for onward transmission to the man’s boss who was alleged to be busy in one of the offices.
Kimani delivered the items but before he could record their serial numbers, the man disappeared with them.
“We met on the third floor of the lands office where he sampled one of the hard disks and agreed to pay for them in cash after bargaining.
“However, as I turned to pick the receipt book from the envelope that I had placed aside, the man picked the hard disks and disappeared.
“I cannot explain how it happened; I suspect he had drugged me because I cannot tell how he picked the items and fled…there was no commotion or tussle between us,” explained Kimani.
Kimani later reported the incident at Thika Police Station and recorded a statement under OB number 71/23/1/2018.
Thika West Police Commander Willy Simba accused victims of frustrating their efforts in apprehending the thugs by failing to report the incidents to the station.
“They make complaints on social media but do not report to us. It is hard to establish the truth in some of these allegations especially when they are not reported,” said Mr Simba.
