Intrigues Behind Kisumu Bank Heist - John Kiriamiti Explains

Former bank robber John Kiriamiti (left) and police officers during the Kisumu city bank heist on Tuesday, November 23.
Reformed convict John Kiriamiti (left) and police officers during the Kisumu city bank heist on Tuesday, November 23, 2021
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Renowned author and reformed bank robber, John Kiriamiti, has described the Tuesday, November 23, Kisumu bank robbery that lasted for over four hours as pure drama.

Speaking to Kenyans.co.ke, Kiriamiti described the incident as nothing but drama, saying that the country should not glorify the situation beyond what it is.

Further, he noted that Kenyans should take time to understand how the events unfolded and the sequence of each rather than jumping into conclusion. He added that there is more than meets the eye and that the robbery cannot just be executed without proper planning.

"There's nothing much, just wait until you hear the news tomorrow, that is when we will understand the country Kenya," he stated.

Officers outside a bank in Kisumu during the Tuesday, November 23, 2021 heist
Officers outside a bank in Kisumu during the Tuesday, November 23, 2021 heist
Daily Nation

Although avoiding to delve much into the matter or to directly point fingers, he suggestively noted that the robbery may have been an inside job and executed by people with proper paramilitary training.

As the drama unfolded during the heist that began around 11.30am and lasted until 4pm, Kenyans waited with bated breath to witness how the situation would pan out. However, in a turn of events, the police officers announced that the four gunmen had escaped - a statement that raised eyebrows as to how the thugs could escape the bank even with a huge police deployment.

In a bid to explain the events, the police entailed that the robbers disguised themselves as customers and managed to flee the scene. 

Appearing as a script derived from a movie scene, Nyanza Regional Commissioner, Magu Mutindika, noted that the robbers must have changed clothes before leaving undetected.

“We have in our possession a man’s shirt. We suspect that the robbers had a change of clothes and left the banking hall during evacuation of distressed clients,” he stated.

Alluding to this, Kiriamiti urged Kenyans to read in between the lines in order to understand the events that occurred.

During his hey days, Kiriamiti conducted more than 100 bank robberies and together with his accomplice, George Githenji, they would walk away with up to Ksh200,000.

“The highest figure I pocketed in one heist more than 40 years ago was Ksh200,000 and the least was Ksh120,000. That was equivalent to today’s Ksh2 million and Ksh1.2 million,” he said.

The pair would rob banks by the dozens - a fortune that was ultimately spent on alcohol, women and fulfilling their lush desires.

“Within 10 minutes, I would have earned Ksh200,000 from a successful bank heist. And within 10 minutes, I would spend at least Ksh50,000 in the sin industry,” Githenji stated in a past interview.

While revealing his tricks of the trade in the past, Kiriamiti noted that he would take time and visit the target scenes in order to draw an escape plan.

He, however, noted that for the plan, they had to inform rogue police officers who would look the other way during the heist.

Further, the cops would also aid them in hiring firearms at an average rate of Ksh200 at the time.

“The rule was that you collect it in the morning and make sure you return it by close of business since the armoury had to be inspected. That is why banks had to be robbed in broad daylight,” his partner Githenji stated.

Anti-riot police fire live bullets into the air to disperse protestors in 2017.
Anti-riot police fire live bullets into the air to disperse protestors in 2017.
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