Residents fear that the criminals have been colluding with rogue staff in two leading banks within Mumias town.
Police in Mumias are investigating an alarming rise in cases where people withdrawing money from banks are being robbed in what points to an organised syndicate involving staff and criminals.
In the most recent incident, a teacher from Budonga village in Navakholo was shot dead by thugs who had trailed her after withdrawing Sh200,000 in one of the banks in Mumias town.
During the Thursday incident, Ms Roselida Akinyi, a teacher at Nanderema Secondary School, was fatally shot on her way from Mumias town after diverting from the Kakamega-Mumias highway at Eluche.
A boda boda rider who was ferrying Ms Akinyi at the time of the incident is being questioned by detectives.
There has been a worrying increase in recent months of customers who withdraw large sums of money becoming targets of criminals who trail either by vehicles or a motorcycles.
Residents fear that the criminals have been colluding with rogue staff in two leading banks within Mumias town who reveal to them clients who withdraw a lot of cash.
The criminals then ambush the customers and rob them at gun point.
Some of the gangsters have been breaking into vehicles parked at petrol stations, supermarkets or hotels to steal the cash.
The high-profile cases of customers being trailed, waylaid and robbed have become rampant in recent months.
On Saturday, a team of detectives interrogated staff at a local bank in Mumias and reviewed security footage.
Mobile phones of the staff have also been taken by the detectives to help in forensic investigations.
Some of the cases from around Mumias include that of a retired teacher from South Wanga who lost Sh500,000 to robbers who had trailed him from Mumias town.
The criminals who were in a Probox car ambushed the victim at Lusumu River. They deliberately hit his motorbike and then robbed him at gunpoint.
Ms Ruth Makamu from Mayoni in the neighbouring Mawingu sub-county also lost Sh700,000 which she had withdrawn from the bank.
She was robbed by a gun-wielding gang of three on a motorcycle. The victim died a few days later.
A teacher from Nyakwaka lost Sh250,000 after criminals broke into his car shortly after he had withdrawn the money from the bank in Mumias town.
Sometimes back, Mr Ali Wawire, the husband of Roselida Akinyi, was abducted and robbed of Sh600,000 she had withdrawn from the bank.
The couple has been running bank and M-Pesa agent shops in Mumias East and Navakholo sub-counties.
In February this year, a community administrator from Numias East lost more than Sh300,000, moments after withdrawing the money from a local bank.
In August, last year, a man was attacked and money he had withdrawn from the bank to purchase a parcel of land stolen.
He had stashed Sh550,000 in the back seat of his car as he drove to Ebuyeshera village to pay the land owner.
While they were moving around the land, three criminals who were in a motorcycle broke into the car.
"I rushed to the vehicle only to find one of its windows broken and the cash missing. These people had trailed me after I withdrew the money and I suspect that they were signalled by the staff in the bank," said the victim.
Mumias East sub-county police commander Dorice Chemoss cautioned residents to be alert while withdrawing large sums of money.
Ms Chemoss said the robberies are either planned by bank employees or individuals who lounge in the banking halls spying on those who make withdrawals from the bulk tellers.
"They easily monitor activities of clients within the banking halls without raising suspicion and once they spot a target, they signal their accomplices waiting from outside the bank. A client who walks in empty handed but comes out carrying something from the tellers definitely becomes an easy target," she explained.
She asked those who withdraw huge amounts of money to seek police services.
Ms Chemoss said detectives are following crucial leads to apprehend the criminals.
"We are making progress in the pursuit of this gang that is specialising in financial crime. So far, no arrest or recovery has been made," she said.
smakokha@ke.nationmedia.com
