Motorists in Nairobi and its surrounding areas are advised to exercise caution due to the emergence of a car theft syndicate with the ability to silently dis-alarm vehicles before stealing them.
Many residents in the city have reported that these thefts typically occur overnight, catching drivers off guard.
One notable incident was captured on CCTV, where a member of the syndicate stole a vehicle parked outside an apartment in Utawala.
John Magero, the owner of the stolen vehicle, was unaware of the theft until he discovered his car missing. He reported the incident to Kayole Police Station, but unfortunately, there have been no developments in the case.
Speaking to Kenyans.co.ke on Thursday, Kenya Association of Motorists Chairman Peter Murima confirmed that reports of car theft within the city have been on the rise.
He attributed the spike to an increase in general crime after cases of muggings and purse-snatching became rampant within the city's estates.
"There is the normal theft of vehicles but when the cases increase to a certain worrying level, that is when it causes an alarm like it is the case now," he noted.
"Cases of vehicles being stolen have increased now because of spike in crime. There is also an increase in reports of mugging and snatching of purses. We have been receiving reports that the thugs operate on motorbikes."
Without giving an exact figure, Murima estimated that since a surge in reports was recorded by the association, which has a membership of 300,000, the overall cases reported to the police was much higher.
He further claimed that the new style adopted by the syndicate was an inside job between mechanics contracted to install the trackers.
How to Protect Vehicles
To protect their possessions, the motorists boss advised car owners to install at least three anti-theft gadgets from three different technological operators in the event a collusion happens, the other alarms will detect.
"In car thefts, we suspect that technological mechanics who install safety gadgets collude with gangs to steal cars because it is hard to steal cars with immobilisers," he added.
"Vehicle owners should be careful when seeking immobilisers, they should know that it is not foolproof since the mechanics remain with the codes. They need to got for three-tier anti-theft gadgets from different providers."
Car owners are also advised to ensure that they park within a perimeter wall or ensure security is high. Most syndicates target cars parked in the streets or outside unmanned apartments.
Murima also called on the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) to set up a unique police unit to deal with car-jackings and car theft syndicates.
