Detectives are investigating claims by a businessman that he was trailed and robbed of the Sh7 million he was carrying in a bag at a petrol station off Waiyaki Way, Nairobi.
The victim was boarding a public service vehicle headed
to Bondo, Siaya County, with the cash in a small school bag when the incident
happened on Wednesday night.
The victim works with a company that is engaged in the mining of gold in parts of Bondo.
He told police he had left Eastleigh in the city aboard
a private car and was dropped at the Total petrol station near ABC Place along
Waiyaki Way to pick up the public service vehicle when the incident happened,
police said.
Ismael said he had been moving with such an amount of
money in the past using the transport means without any incident.
On Wednesday, October 8, 2025, he said he was boarding
the matatu that had arrived at about 9 pm when two men on a motorcycle pulled
in.
He said he heard a gunshot, and as he checked what was
happening, the gunman had grabbed the bag containing the cash.
The gunman then jumped onto the waiting motorcycle
before he and his rider sped off.
The gunman shot the second bullet into the air as they
rode off from the scene, and as other passengers, motorists, and petrol
attendants took cover.
Police suspect the attackers had prior information of
the movement of the businessman.
This is because they had trailed him from Eastleigh to
the area where the attack took place.
Two spent cartridges were recovered at the scene and
taken for ballistic analysis.
The area is well covered by security cameras, and police
hope to trace the gunmen for justice.
No arrest had been made by Friday, but detectives said
they were pursuing several leads on the gunmen.
Such incidents usually happen after the attackers are
informed of the cash on the move.
Police said they intend to talk to those whom the victim
met in Eastleigh as part of the probe into the incident.
Nairobi police boss George Seda said they are
investigating the robbery.
"A team is on
the ground and we believe the suspects will be caught soon," he said of
the attackers.
He advised those carrying huge sums of money to seek
police escort services for their general safety.
Such past incidents have been found to have happened after an insider leaked information on the movements of the money, police revealed.
