Fury as eight vehicles stolen in Gatundu in one month
Residents of Mundooro, Kiganjo, Waiganjo and Ndundu villages in Gatundu South of Kiambu County have decried the upsurge of car theft that has them counting massive losses.
For the last one month, eight vehicles from the villages have been stolen in almost similar style leaving the owners in hopeless states.
The criminals are reported to have been breaking into homesteads past curfew hours when they unsuspectedly carry out the evil missions.
Residents said that most targeted by the adamant burglars are Probox, Sienta, Succeed, Townace and Wish vehicles.
Before January 8, 2021, Joseph Mwangi, a resident of Kiganjo village had packed his Townce vehicle within his homestead hoping to resume his taxi business the following day.
But during the night, Mwangi said he heard his vehicle make a rumbling noise and on checking, he saw a group of men in aprons conspiring the best escape method.
“My wife first told me that our vehicle’s engine had been ignited. I peeped through the window and saw a group of men almost making their way out of the gate. It is after they almost left the gate that I lit my security light but it was too late because they veered off in speed,” he said.
He said he reported the matter to police but detectives have never managed to trace the vehicle he took a loan to buy.
Disheartened by loss of his only source of income, Mwangi has now been left to wallow in poverty even as he awaits further search by detectives.
David Muchiri, a pastor from Ndundu village had his mobility incapacitated when robbers made away with his vehicle hours after leaving church on January 4.
The pastor said that he packed his vehicle normally unexpectant that a crime would happen and left for his house.
Muchiri only realized his vehicle, logbook, bank documents, Bible alongside other paraphernalia inside it had been stolen when his wife woke up in the wee hours of the night to milk their dairies.
“I only realized that my vehicle was no more after my wife woke up at around 3am to milk our dairies. Since we did not hear the vehicle being ignited, we suspect it was pushed manually and maybe ignited outside our home,” he said.
Since his vehicle was ransacked, the pastor is now compelled to hire vehicles to traverse various villages to spread the gospel.
Ann Wambui, another resident recounted how her family hired a bigger vehicle to accommodate their children on a journey to Salgaa in Nakuru.
Upon return, Wambui who is from Waigango village said they packed the vehicle normally but goons invaded their homestead and made away with the Wish car at around 2:30 am.
The now distraught family has been left to pay Sh 50,000 daily to the vehicle owner who bought it using a loan.
“We are disturbed because we have no money and our income is very meagre. We are required to pay Sh 50,000 daily to repay the loan secured by the vehicle owner. We still cannot fathom how this happened,” she said.
Distressed Wambui said that detectives have done less to contain the vice that is at the verge of spreading in neighboring villages.
It is the growing crime that resulted in demonstrations at Mundooro villages yesterday where the irate taxi drivers and locals called on
Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i to intervene and beef up security.
Carrying twigs and placards expressing their acrimony, the furious locals led by Philip Mwangi called on the government to make prompt interventions to quell further crimes in the area.
“We are tired of insecurity and our future in this situation is unknown. We made numerous reports to police but no sizable action has been taken to contain the mess. We want quick actions,” John Wainaina, another resident said.
Addressing journalists at his office, Gatundu South Deputy County Commissioner Stanley Kamande said that investigations into the escalated vice had commenced.
He said that police have also enhanced patrol at Kiganjo village that recently got a police station.
The official stated that while no one has been arrested over the crime, sleuths are investigating suspects whose names were handed over by residents recently.
“We are zeroing in on some people who are suspected to be behind the syndicate but our investigations are at the very initial stage. We are on top of this and soon we will be able to tell the persons behind the crime,” he said.
