Residents in Kigogoini village, Nyeri County, are living in fear due to the heightened insecurity in the area, since President Uhuru Kenyatta introduced curfew as a way to curb the spread of covid-19 in the country.
In just a span of one week, residents decried that two vehicles had been stolen and another set ablaze after the perpetrators failed in their attempt to steal it.
Residents in the area have lamented that the thieves are making a habit of torching vehicles once they realise that they are unable to open the doors.
"We have reported the cases to the police, the assistant chief, and so the authorities have a clear picture of what has been happening in the area. However, we are yet to see changes," a resident lamented.
The area inhabitants have since called upon Interior CS Fred Matiang'i to come to their aide and help them improve security in the area.
"We are living in fear, be it during the day or at night because time and again, we keep hearing of incidents where thugs break into people's homes and vehicles," another resident stated.
The incident came weeks after the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) announced the arrest of 3 individuals believed to be part of a car theft syndicate, terrorising motorists in Nairobi and Mombasa County.
"Detectives established that the syndicate was tampering with the car tracking gadgets before disposing them in Tanzania via the Namanga border," reads DCI's statement in part.
According to the latest report published by the Association of Kenya Insurers (AKI) in 2018, at least 100 cars are reported as stolen to insurance companies each month.
“71% of vehicles reported stolen in the country are Toyotas followed by Isuzu (7%) and Nissan (5%). The rest constitute 17% cumulatively,” the report reads in part.
In addition, white remains the favourite colour for thieves (50%), followed by silver (21%). 66% of cars are stolen while parked, especially in public places like entertainment joints and churches.
