MOMBASA, KENYA — Kenyan police are investigating two separate incidents in which drivers transporting new vehicles to Uganda were robbed along the Mombasa Highway in Machakos County.
In both instances, the drivers reportedly offered paid rides to individuals they encountered and picked up along the highway. As of Saturday, the stolen vehicles have not been recovered, according to police reports.
Authorities have subsequently issued warnings to drivers against offering lifts to unknown individuals, citing an increase in such robbery cases. Reports indicate up to two such incidents occur weekly along the busy thoroughfare, with the majority of the stolen vehicles not being recovered.
The initial incident involved a driver who reported being robbed of a brand-new Subaru Forester by three men he had taken on as passengers. This occurred on the morning of May 15 in the Kyumbi area.
The driver had commenced his journey from Mombasa Town, en route to Kampala, Uganda. During his travel, he offered a ride to the three men who stated they were traveling to Nairobi. However, as the vehicle approached the dual carriageway near Kyumbi township, the men allegedly became violent.
They reportedly strangled the driver, bound his hands, and left him in a bush before absconding with the vehicle. The driver subsequently reported the incident to the local police station.
In the second case, a driver informed officers at the Athi River Police Station that he was also traveling from Mombasa to Uganda when he was carjacked. He had picked up four passengers in Kibwezi and Voi.
Upon reaching the Lukenya area, one of the passengers requested a stop to attend to a call of nature. The driver complied, at which point the others turned on him. He stated that four additional men then appeared at the scene and overpowered him. They took control of the vehicle and drove towards Nairobi.
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One of the passengers who had boarded in Voi managed to jump out of the moving car as it made a U-turn in the direction of Mombasa. It remains unclear whether this individual was part of the criminal group.
According to police, the suspects tied the driver with a rope and abandoned him along the road. He was later rescued by Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) officials on patrol and taken to the police station.
The robbers also stole the driver’s mobile phone and other personal belongings.
