On Saturday, October 26, 2024, at 7.30pm, a middle-aged man and a woman are captured on CCTV cameras chatting in the parking lot of one of the popular restaurants in Kitengela town while side-leaning on a black station wagon.
Three minutes later, the lights of a vehicle next to the duo are seen flashing — jolting the woman into swift action.
She is seen hurriedly yanking open the rear door of the car and making away with a bag before the vehicle’s lights flash again.
The sound of the car’s alarm is not heard during this operation despite the vehicle being fitted with a security system, as evidenced by the blue flickering light on the dashboard.
Minutes later, another station wagon is seen emerging from a rough road adjacent to the restaurant to pick up the duo before speeding off. Mission accomplished…
All this while, the restaurant's uniformed night guard is seen on camera patrolling the parking lot unaware that a crime had been committed under his ‘watchful’ eyes.
This new tactic of car breaking-in has left residents and security agencies of Kitengela on the edge, with dozens of such cases being reported to Kitengela Police Station.
Initial investigations show the criminals are using alarm signal jammers to break into parked vehicles before making away with money, electronics and other valuables.
In the case above, the owner of the vehicle is captured on a CCTV camera emerging from the restaurant at 8pm only to report his laptop and wads of cash he had left in his vehicle missing.
"This is not an isolated case. We have had five similar incidents in the last one month. The criminals working in a group of three to four seemingly target customers in the restaurant or rooms,” said the restaurant manager in confidence, fearing losing customers.
In the last five years, Kitengela has emerged as one of the popular weekend getaways in Kajiado East sub-County, hosting several high-end night clubs that attract revellers in droves.
From the CCTV-camera footage seen by Nation at several restaurants and nightclubs in the town, the gang consists of two men and three women.
Ms Nancy Otieno, 35, told the Nation she became a victim of the gang on October 19 when she parked her vehicle at one of the high-end night clubs in Kitengela to meet some friends around 7.30pm.
In the back seat, she said, she had left her handbag that contained her mobile phone, national ID, medical cards and some money.
Around 9pm when she rushed to her car to get some money to settle her bills, she found her bag missing though the vehicle locks were intact.
"I had thought my car was safe but I was shocked to find my handbag missing. It is a high-tech theft targeting motorists,” said Ms Otieno, insisting the suspects might have been watching her movements.
The Nation’s request to speak with the club management for a comment was declined but a supervisor there said in confidence that such incidents have been rising at the weekends.
"Hardly a weekend passes without two or three incidents being reported. In two months, we have not less than 30 such cases. The management is reluctant to share the CCTV footage with the public because such bad publicity might make customers avoid the club,” he said.
Another victim, Mr John Mutinda, 46, said he parked his car in one of the petrol stations in Kitengela on the evening of October 7 to use the washroom only to find his vehicle ransacked and phone missing.
"In 10 minutes, my car had been ransacked and my expensive phone was missing. It hit me hard,” said Mr Mutinda.
Cheap Car Keys Scotland, a UK-based car security solutions provider, describes key jamming as a type of car theft where criminals use a device to block the signal from the owner's key fob—allowing them to steal the car without setting off the alarm.
Key jamming works by positioning a jamming device near the targeted car, which then sends a signal that interferes with the communication between the key fob and the car's immobiliser system.
When you press the button to lock your car, the jammer blocks the signal and the car’s doors do not lock.
The jamming device temporarily disables the immobiliser, making it possible for the thief to easily enter the car once you’ve vacated the area.
They are then able to search and steal any valuable items that are inside the car, or possibly even start the engine and drive off unnoticed.
Mr Geoffrey Kimatu, a Kitengela-based motor vehicle wiring technician told Nation the key jamming crime has become increasingly common in recent years due to the widespread use of keyless entry systems and electronic key fobs.
"It seems the key jamming devices are readily available in the market. One should avoid leaving money and valuables in vehicles, especially in insecure places,” said Mr Kimatu.
Week-long efforts by the Nation to reach Isinya Sub-County Police Commander Patrick Manyasi for comment, especially on the cases reported at Kitengela Police Station were not successful as he kept promising to call back but failed to do so. On other occasions, he did not respond to calls and text messages.
