NAIROBI, KENYA — A domestic worker, who disappeared after allegedly executing a sophisticated theft at her employer’s home, has been apprehended by law enforcement.
Rita Akinyi Yohana, employed by the family for 15 months, was detained by detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) in Nairobi.
The suspect fled after reportedly stealing a safe containing valuable items, including family passports, foreign national identification cards, gold coins, a hard drive, Diwali statues, and $4,000 (approximately Ksh.517,800) in cash. The employer reported the theft to Spring Valley Police Station on March 11, 2025.
“Upon visiting the crime scene, detectives discovered that the safe previously secured with screws in a wardrobe had been expertly unscrewed and stolen,” stated the DCI in a press release on Friday.
Forensic intelligence led authorities to the Congo Maumau area of Kawangware, where Akinyi was located in hiding.
A search of her residence yielded a collection of stolen items, including 29 one-hundred-dollar bills, various denominations of Indian Rupees, perfumes, and women’s purses, all identified as belonging to her employer.
“Further, Akinyi confessed to discarding the ransacked safe in the murky depths of River Maumau. With help from local divers, detectives managed to retrieve the safe from the riverbed only to find it emptied of its contents,” the DCI added.
Akinyi is currently held in police custody awaiting her court appearance, and the recovered items have been secured as evidence.
