Police have arrested two of the three prime suspects in the theft of a UN vehicle grille in Parklands, Nairobi, on Monday.
Officers from Parklands police station picked James Omuya and John Owiti from their hideouts in Mlango Kubwa, after footage from a camera in the car helped identify three individuals who ripped off the vehicle part.
One other suspect, who investigators say was not among those captured on camera vandalising the car, was also arrested and is assisting with investigations.
At the same time, police officers conducted a raid on spare parts shops on Kirinyaga Road in Nairobi, where investigations revealed the stolen grille could have been sold.
A police source said that the service has recorded a shift in trends, as gangs now to target motorists in suburbs like Parklands, Westlands, Karen and Langata.
The gangs also target motorists along Limuru Road and Uhuru Highway, between the University of Nairobi and Westlands, according to police.
Side mirrors and grilles are the most targeted car parts, one of the investigators said.
They are sold to spare parts dealers, and then to motorists, some of whom are victims of similar parts theft.
The unidentified motorist whose car was vandalised on Monday was, however, yet to file a formal complaint with the police by the time of going to press.
Images shared on social media, however, indicate that the vehicle has UN number plates.
Suspected car parts thieves remove a grill from a UN vehicle in Parklands, Nairobi, on May 11, 2026.
Photo credit: Pool
An officer familiar with the operation has told Daily Nation that the criminals had taken advantage of the low police presence in the streets to attack.
Omuya is suspected of leading a gang that operates between Westlands and Parklands. Police records indicate that the suspect is a jailbird.
In October 2025, he was convicted of the theft of a vehicle grille from another car in Westlands and sentenced to six months in prison.
After the footage of the daring men yanking the car front grilles emerged on Monday, there was outrage from the public, who on social media called on the police to deal with the gang.
From the footage, police were able to identify Omuya as the man dressed in a green cap and who was captured on camera pulling off the car grilles.
From the footage captured by the car’s dashboard camera, three men are seen attacking the motorist along Barabara Tano in Parklands.
They struggled with the grill as the driver attempted to shake them off by accelerating and stopping, but the thieves eventually managed to remove it.
The thieves managed to escape, as private security guards who were manning an adjacent building attempted to help.
On Tuesday, a team of officers from the Parklands Police Station combed parts of Ngara, where the suspect is said to have sold the stolen car parts.
Another team of officers conducted an operation in parts of Lower Kirinyaga Road where they targeted unlicensed second hand motor vehicle parts dealers.
Suspected car parts thieves remove a grill from a UN vehicle in Parklands, Nairobi, on May 11, 2026.
Photo credit: Pool
The officer said the Africa Forward Summit in Nairobi had seen more police officers moved from their stations to provide security to dignitaries.
Preliminary investigations by the police have revealed that the criminals work in cahoots with men pretending to be either mechanics or hawkers.
These ‘mechanics and hawkers’ do the surveillance, check on the police presence, and share the information with other criminals who strike and disappear.
