If you thought that thieves only use modest cars to escape from scenes of crime, watch out, because they have devised a new trick.
Police records indicate that in the last five years, luxury cars have become the vehicles of choice to ferry thieves to the scene of crime. The top-of-the -range vehicles are also used as getaway cars.
The getaway car market in Kenya’s criminal underworld has gone upmarket. Previously, it was full of rusty jalopies, but now it features luxury models that could be taken straight from a prestige dealer’s brochure. This is because hardcore criminals are changing their approach while attacking their prey.
Old-fashioned criminals had a liking for vehicles that were seemingly picked from the back pages of a car catalogue — Toyota Probox, Fielder models and other modestly priced cars. Others preferred to hijack taxis, or flee on two wheels.
But today, new-age criminals — burglars, kidnappers, murderers or drug traffickers —have adopted the class and style of their prey. This emerging trend has forced law enforcement to change tack .
The use of expensive car models in crime has been prevalent in affluent suburbs such as Parklands, Westlands and Kileleshwa. However, community policing efforts, for a large part, have helped to foil attacks because residents are alert and they report the presence of suspicious vehicles or individuals swiftly.
Police data shows that the Toyota Prado model, which blue chip firms and the government reserve for top-level managers, is the most preferred car by criminals. The luxury vehicle rouses less suspicion when criminals trail their prey.
A screen grab of CCTV footage of a Toyota Prado used by individuals suspected to be behind a series of burglaries in Kilimani, Kileleshwa and Westlands.
Photo credit: Pool | Nation Media Group
Previously, thieves often struck then either fled on foot, motorcycles or in modestly-priced vehicles that could easily blend with the crowd once driven out of an affluent neighbourhood.
But with law changes placing priority on issues like privacy, the police have been forced to evolve in the fight against crime as they play catch up with criminals who have increasingly become sophisticated.
National Police Service Spokesperson Nyaga Muchiri said in an interview that security agents have enforced new strategies around community policing to counter the evolving tactics of criminals, such as the use of luxury vehicles.
He said that the police have particularly engaged in the sensitisation of members of the public so that they can report suspicious activities for quick response.
“There is a lot that has been done to be on top of things. There is a lot of sensitisation that is being done, where police commanders get in touch and engage with community and social security groups, and then they craft messages on alertness and collaboration,” Mr Muchiri said.
He added that in many areas in the city, community engagement has borne fruit.
Mr Muchiri said that community policing and quick response by police officers has thwarted gangsters’ attempts to break into houses in Kileleshwa, Kilimani, Parklands and Westlands.
The spokesman also said that only one of the reported five attempted burglaries was successful. He said that investigations were underway to catch the criminals.
National Police Service Spokesperson Michael Nyaga Muchiri during an interview at his office at Jogoo House in Nairobi on July 2, 2025.
Photo credit: Wilfred Nyangaresi | Nation Media Group
Mr Muchiri said that among the positive outcomes of police engagement with residents in various estates is the installation of CCTV cameras, which were a preserve of the rich in the past.
Mr Muchiri said that the availability of affordable CCTV cameras has enabled residents—even in lower income areas — to install the equipment. This provides crucial footage in the course of an investigation should a crime be committed.
A case in point is an incident that occurred in Westlands on September 30. A white Toyota Harrier drove into an estate in Westlands, with the occupants claiming that they wanted to view a vacant house.
But a confrontation ensued after security guards in the estate suspected that the individuals had an ulterior motive. However, the suspects overpowered the security team and fled.
A police search of the number plate revealed that the car was owned by a Nairobi-based businessman, who registered it on September 26, 2023.
Police said that for the last two weeks, at least two break-in attempts have been reported in Kileleshwa, Kilimani, Parklands and Westlands, with preliminary investigations indicating that members of one gang are involved in the attacks.
A black Toyota Prado with altered number plates, which has been spotted ferrying burglars, has caused grief to residents of these four affluent neighbourhoods where the criminals charm their way through with their sweet talk.
Police are yet to find the true identity of the owner of the car that has been used in multiple robbery incidences. In some cases, workers and security personnel caught the robbers red-handed. Nonetheless, the robbers escaped.
A search of the vehicle number plate on the National Transport and Safety Authority’s portal describes a different car. The search showed that the vehicle is a silver Toyota Lite Ace van, which was registered in December, 2024.
New-age criminals — burglars, kidnappers, murderers or drug traffickers — have adopted the class and style of their prey.
Photo credit: Nation Media Group
The Lite Ace is owned by a woman, who registered it as a commercial vehicle.
Police are now trying to establish which other luxury cars have been used during the home break-ins, as they race against time to unmask the individuals behind the robbery syndicate.
In the cases that have been reported to the police so far, residents say that men who are often well-dressed pose as visitors and are allowed into the estate be security guards.
In some instances, investigators say that security guards feel intimidated by the luxury vehicles and “quickly open the gates to avoid losing their jobs should they be reported”.
