On April 28, 2025, nominated Member of Nyeri County Assembly Agnes Wanjiru travelled to her native Murang'a town, where she lost Sh1 million in cash.
The many victims suffering Ms Wanjiru's fate indirectly point to the high possibility of an existing organised criminal gang with serving police officers who collude with other actors to pull these heists.
Murang’a residents decry rise in robberies targeting bank customers
A distraught Ms Wanjiru says she had withdrawn the cash from Murang'a town-based Equity Bank branch and stored it in the backseat of her car.
"The money was divided into two tranches. One in Sh990,000 that I had put in an envelope and Sh10,000 that I had put in my purse. I put the two in my locked car and went for a town stroll," she said.
Ms Wanjiru said she left her car in a public parking lot and, together with some friends, decided to sample the town's hospitality industry.
"I had withdrawn that cash at around 11 am. Together with the friend, we were through with sampling the town spots at 4 pm. That is when I went to pick up my car. The shock that hit me was electric," she narrates.
She says she found the car broken into through the window where the cash lay, and the whole amount was gone.
Agnes Wanjiru, victim of robbery.
Photo credit: File | Nation Media Group
"I do not know how I will recover from the shock. But it is very obvious that this was the doing of someone who had precise information that I had withdrawn the cash. I suspect the thieves have a connection in the process that saw me have the cash," she said.
Ms Wanjiru's case is one among many that have befallen moneyed Murang'a people immediately after transacting with financial institutions, business partners or businessmen with cash in their premises.
"My case is different. I had closed my bar on April 8, 2025, at Mukuyu shopping centre. I had a gross sales of Sh63,000. I left the cash hidden in a beer crate and packed more items on top of it," says Mr James Njoroge, another victim.
Come morning, the cash was gone and no door had been broken.
"The thieves had stage-managed the scene to appear as if they had gained entry through the roof. They had ripped off part of the ceiling. But the raw truth was that they had used master keys," he said.
What baffles Mr Njoroge is that he had closed the bar in the presence of two male police officers who even helped him to hide the cash. "It was the first time I was hiding the cash inside the bar since I had missed banking it by close of business. This coincidence disturbs me."
It was more dramatic for Ms Esther Njoki 58, who on April 16, 2025 had withdrawn Sh1.8 million from a bank in Kenol town.
"I was driving myself. I was heading home at around 2pm. The cash was for financing a construction project I'm undertaking in Thika town," she says.
Ms Njoki says she noted a motorbike commence trailing her immediately she pulled out of the bank's parking lot. She took it seriously.
"I have a son who works as a police officer and was home. I sent her a text message about my suspicions. She advised me to drive normally into a petrol station and ask for puncture checks on all four wheels to buy time," she says.
Ms Njoki adds that within 20 minutes, her son showed up at the police station and had instructed her not to show any signs of knowing him.
"My son parked his car behind mine. The attendant did not find any puncture on any of my car wheels...I went back into the car and drove off," she narrates.
She adds that she saw her son start following her car and the suspicious motorbike reappeared, first behind her son's car and later behind hers.
"The motorbike now had three occupants, but had only the rider when I was leaving the bank's parking lot," she says.
"My son accelerated while hooting...The motorbike gave way. My son overtook the motorbike and closed the gap between me and the motorbike. We drove on for some time along a feeder road to my home," she narrates.
She adds that the suspects on the motorcycle suddenly gained speed, appeared on her driver's window and the one in the middle brandished a pistol while asking her to stop the car.
"My son was armed. He fired into the air and the suspects lost control and fell in a ditch. My son had since come out of the car and had me out of my car as he fired some shots. She ordered me to lie face down on the mud," she said.
After about a minute, her son called her to stand up.
"To cut a long story short, the three suspects had confessed that they were two police officers and a motorbike rider. They were armed with one pistol. My son let them go on grounds of job comradeship. Mine was attempted robbery by serving police officers," she said.
According to Murang'a County Crime Tracking Index, cases of bank customers losing their cash immediately after withdrawal stands at 38 incidents for the year 2024.
Currently in this year, the county has recorded six incidents, two in Murang'a town and one each in Kenol, Kiria-ini, Kangema and Maragua.
Also, 16 business enterprises have been raided and cash ready for banking stolen, witness statements in nearly all incidents reporting that the raiders had an aura of police officers.
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"We are alarmed that all these heists appear to have great input of criminal police officers who in collaboration with street gangs and some staff in victims' circles, collect intelligence and plan on execution of the heists," said a junior officer at the Murang'a County Directorate of Criminal Investigations, who cannot be named for his own job security.
The officer confided to Nation.Africa that "we are currently undergoing a storm as a security unit since it is hard to investigate our errant colleagues who at the same time end up being assigned to investigate cases that they were the criminals".
The County Criminal Investigations Officer Isanda Kibiego turned down an invitation to discuss the matter saying "the police commander will brief you".
County Police Commander Benjamin Kimwele said "these incidents are very unfortunate and we are investigating them".
Mr Kimwele said "so far we have arrested four suspects connected to some of these crimes and we are in the ground seeking more clues towards eradicating this menace".
The arrests are part of a crackdown that was commissioned in February this year after intelligence reports hinted about existence of a team of police imposters being led by a male identifying himself as the Officer Commanding Station (OCS) in Murang'a town.
The report indicated that the platoon of about eight fake officers was illegally patrolling the town while openly brandishing firearms and cuffs believed to be accessed through serving officers who are accomplices.
The imposters were accused of being part of robberies targeting nightlife adventurers as well as random heists against mobile wallets cash transfer agents, private people carrying huge amounts of cash as well as open extortion against bar owners.
According to Murang'a East sub-County Police boss Ms Mary Wakuu, public complaints have escalated about the activities of the imposters.
"We are after the group...already we know some phone numbers that the said OCS is using. It does not match any number in use by my real OCS who is Mr Charles Wanyoike," she said.
On January 13, 2025, Murang'a Senator Joe Nyutu had decried the rise of incidents where residents were losing cash and valuables to organised criminals fashioned as security officers.
Ulimbia Muritu whose valuables were stolen in Muranga.
Photo credit: File | Nation Media Group
"I have been informed severally about suspect patrols by people who partially have the mannerism of officers. We want to be told what this is all about," he said.
Ms Wakuu called upon members of the public to be reporting any incident where they encounter officers who are in civilian attires with a leader introducing self as OCS.
"It is not likely that you will encounter my OCS patrolling dark streets while in civilian clothes and without an official vehicle...if you encounter such a team, report it to us," she said.
According to an investigative report that we have seen regarding the issue, the imposters are alleged to be drawn from various government departments.
The cons are reported to have identified several bars where they meet to share the loot with the broader network of accomplices.
"Ground intelligence alleges that some of the imposters are attached to Kenya Power, others attached to the Judiciary, one from the Office of Director of Public Prosecutions and others from county government," the report reads in part.
It adds that "another allegation is that some officers serving within the Township ward are accomplices to this gang".
More damning is that one of the discreet vehicles attached to a department within the NPS is sometimes seen being driven by some of the imposters.
"It is believed that the imposters are wired into the NPS where they get intelligence report regarding efforts to crackdown on them. They also run a street spy network to identify where to strike," the report states.
Altercation with officers
Mr Mathew Mwangi reports that he encountered the imposters on January 12, 2024.
"I had ran into an altercation with one officer inside a bar but I managed to escape arrest. But I later received a phone call from a man who introduced himself as the Murang'a OCS demanding to know where I was," he narrated.
Mr Mwangi added that the Truecaller application on his phone indicated a different name from that of the recognised serving OCS.
"It happens that I know the OCS and I have his number. The name and the number that were calling me were not his...I reported the matter vide OB No. 42 of January 12, 2025," he said adding that "it became clear that the caller was a member of a police cartel led by an officer attached to guard a local institution of higher learning".
Ms Wakuu acknowledged being privy to the complaint adding that "investigations about the number whose caller allegedly introduced self as OCS are ongoing and soon we will turn him in".
