Police are investigating two separate incidents in which drivers delivering new vehicles to Uganda were violently robbed along the Mombasa-Nairobi Highway in Machakos County. Both cars are yet to be recovered, and authorities have raised concerns over an increase in similar crimes targeting long-distance drivers.
According to police reports, the drivers in both cases were transporting brand-new vehicles from Mombasa to Kampala when they picked up passengers for a fee along the way—an act that ultimately led to their misfortune.
In the first incident, reported on May 15 near Kyumbi township, a driver of a new Subaru Forester said he was attacked by three men he had picked up in Mombasa, who claimed they were heading to Nairobi. As the car approached the dual carriageway near Kyumbi, the passengers turned violent. They strangled the driver, tied his hands, and dumped him in nearby bushes before escaping with the vehicle. The shaken driver later reported the incident to local police.
The second case was reported at Athi River Police Station. The driver had picked up four passengers in Kibwezi and Voi while en route to Uganda. When the vehicle reached the Lukenya area, one passenger asked to stop for a call of nature. During the stop, the rest of the passengers attacked the driver. Four more assailants emerged, joining the robbery. The group overpowered the driver, tied him with a rope, and took off with the car, heading toward Nairobi.
One of the initial passengers reportedly jumped out of the moving vehicle during a U-turn, raising questions about his involvement in the crime. The driver was later rescued by Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) patrol officers and taken to the police.
Police say such incidents are on the rise, with up to two cases reported weekly along the busy highway. Most of the stolen vehicles are rarely recovered. Authorities have now issued a warning to drivers transporting goods or vehicles to avoid offering lifts to strangers, citing the growing risk of carjackings and violent robberies. Investigations are ongoing.
