A daring daylight robbery unfolded in Nairobi’s Central Business District (CBD) when a gang of about 12 individuals ambushed a businessman and stole Sh7 million moments after he withdrew the money from a bank along Mama Ngina Street.
The incident occurred on Friday at around 9:47 a.m. The businessman was walking towards a forex bureau on Koinange Street to deliver the cash when the gang struck. The attackers, seemingly aware of the victim’s movements and the amount of cash he was carrying, quickly surrounded him as he made his way through an alley. In a matter of seconds, the group overwhelmed him, snatched the cash, and made a swift getaway.
Security camera footage from the area revealed how the gang created confusion by charging towards their target en masse. Amid the commotion, one individual managed to grab the bag containing the money and leapt into a waiting van. The vehicle sped off as the rest of the gang dispersed, some fleeing on foot in different directions.
The victim, clearly caught off guard, tried to raise an alarm, but the gang had already vanished. The well-orchestrated operation left little time for bystanders to intervene or respond. Police later arrived at the scene and began investigations, including reviewing footage and visiting the bank from which the money was withdrawn.
Authorities believe the gang had prior knowledge of the transaction, suggesting the businessman may have been followed from the bank. The possibility of an inside job is also being considered, with investigators not ruling out the involvement of rogue bank staff who could have leaked information about the large withdrawal. This tactic has been used in past robberies, where customers are attacked shortly after leaving financial institutions.
This case adds to a growing list of similar incidents reported across Nairobi and other urban centers. Just last week, a man in Kitengela was robbed of Sh307,000 intended for construction workers. The perpetrators in that case posed as police officers, tricking the victim into stopping before seizing the cash.
In another instance, a man lost nearly Sh1 million after withdrawing it from a bank in Machakos Town. Like the Nairobi case, the robbery occurred soon after the transaction, pointing to a pattern in how these criminal networks operate.
Police are expanding their investigations into whether these incidents are linked and if a larger criminal syndicate is behind the wave of targeted thefts. Investigations have previously revealed that some criminals loiter in banking halls pretending to be customers. Their goal is to identify people withdrawing large sums, whom they later follow and rob.
The spate of incidents has raised concerns about customer safety and security protocols within financial institutions. While banks maintain confidentiality, the repeated occurrence of such thefts raises questions about whether security measures are adequate or if more needs to be done to protect clients.
Police have urged members of the public to exercise caution, especially when handling large sums of money. They advise using secure methods of money transfer, such as electronic transactions, or requesting security escorts in high-risk areas.
As investigations continue, the public remains on edge, hoping that the perpetrators will be apprehended and that measures will be put in place to prevent future attacks of this nature.
