Murang’a town in central Kenya is under the spell of daylight robberies with bank customers the prime targets.

The consistency with which bank customers are attacked has turned the searchlight on tellers in local banks, who are suspected to be working in cahoots with the thugs to steal from customers.

Police indifference has also come into question, robbery victims say.

Consequently, Murang’a town business community has raised the alarm over rising crime in the central business district where daylight robberies have become commonplace. They say the thugs target parked cars, which they break into – sometimes – under the nose of police officers on patrol.

Speaking to the press after her was broken into and money stolen, Agnes Wanjiru said she had just withdrawn money at a local bank on Monday when the thugs pounced and made away with the money she had kept in her car.

Wanjiru, a nominated Member of County Assembly in Nyeri County, said she had withdrawn Ksh990,000 ($7,645) at a bank, which she went and kept in the backseat of her car, then left for errands in town.

“I kept the money in my car and went about my business in the town but when I returned, I found the rear window had been broken and the money missing,” she narrated.

She said she believes that whoever broke into her car had been trailing her from the time she withdrew the money earlier that day

“The thieves broke the rear window at the exact side where I had kept the money – meaning they had been monitoring every movement I made,” she said.

“I also think there was collusion with bank staff because they are the only ones who knew the amount of money I withdrew,” she added.

She noted that several other people have fallen victim to the thugs and lost huge amounts of money immediately after withdrawing it at local banks. She suspected there is a gang working in collusion with the bankers to steal from clients.

She now wants the police to speed up investigations, besides increased surveillance to deter the criminals.

“I believe there are several CCTV cameras along that street that captured the incident and the footage can help nail the thieves,” she said.

Uimbia Muritu, a Murang’a businessman, recently lost Ksh300,000 ($2,315) shortly after withdrawing at a bank. Muritu says he went to a restaurant for tea but upon return he found the car doors open and the money missing.

“I still don’t understand how someone figured out that I was carrying the money and followed me to where I had packed the vehicle. I was set up,” Muritu said.

He called upon businesspeople to install CCTV cameras at their premises to help fight crime on the streets.

Murang’a County Police Commander Benjamin Kimwele said the incidents that have been reported are being investigated and called upon victims of the break-ins to provide the necessary information to the police.

Kimwele, however, cautioned the public against withdrawing huge amounts of money without security back up as this exposes them to such attacks. The police commander also said cases of business people being defrauded of their money have been rampant in the area and stated that four suspects have been arrested and arraigned in court.

• A Tell Media / KNA report / By Purity Mugo