Matatus Plying Along Mombasa Road Affected by Carjackings

Matatus plying along Mombasa Road have been identified as the worst hit by carjacking gangs which are terrorizing passengers.

Nairobi Police boss Joseph Ole Tito stated that security forces are looking for two gangs that attacked two matatus in separate incidents on Tuesday night and robbed passengers and crew of their cash and valuables in Nairobi.

Ole Tito stated that the first matatu was attacked along Mombasa Road after it had picked up passengers at Taj Mall while headed for the CBD.

The Nairobi police boss stated that some of the passengers turned out to be thugs and commandeered the bus into a dark alley before joining Outering and later to Babadogo where they robbed the passengers.

[caption caption="Nairobi Police boss Joseph Ole Tito"][/caption]

He revealed that on the same night, another bus was attacked along Ladhies Road and the crew robbed of their valuables and cash.

The police boss noted that Mombasa Road had become notorious with gangs which board matatus in the CBD and end up robbing passengers.

In May, more than 30 passengers were robbed by gangsters inside in a matatu which was headed to Embakasi, via Mombasa Road, from the city centre.

The criminals pulled out knives and pistols and commandeered the matatu towards Buruburu where they robbed the passengers and dumped them in a dark alley in Babadogo at about midnight.

In a separate incident, an armed gang hijacked a matatu, attacked passengers and stole their valuables at Lucky Summer estate in Ruaraka, Nairobi.

Witnesses narrated that the gang which comprised of young men and women entered the 33-seater matatu as it was about to leave for the city centre and took vantage positions.

They shot in the air and immediately started demanding valuables— including mobile phones, money and even eyeglasses.

[caption caption="An embassava sacco matatu"][/caption]

Police are, however, yet to bring to book any of the gangs which they have pursued since March this year.

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