For reportedly snatching Ksh 373,000 from a pedestrian crossing Nairobi’s Charles Rubia Road, four law enforcement personnel have been detained.
On Friday, June 6, 2023, at about 13:50 p.m., the city’s patrolling police allegedly approached and took money from William Tongoyo after he had sold meat at Burma Market.
The staff members are Raphael Ndugire Kinyanjui, Caroline Chelagat, Prisca Kwamboka, and Wycliff Onsare Singombe.
Tongoyo described how he was “loitering within town aimlessly” when three uniformed police officers apprehended and handcuffed him as he was walking along Charles Rubia Road towards Nyamakima to board a matatu to Narok. Tongoyo then filed a complaint at Kamukunji Police Station.
“He passed through an alleyway, and at a particular location he underwent a search, and a couple of the officers stole from him a total of Ksh 373,000/-, which he had previously received as earnings after delivering the meat of twelve cows at Burma Market at Shaurimoyo,” according to the police report.
The victim claimed that he attempted to pursue the cops to get his money back, but that they vanished into the crowd.
He informed DCI Kamukunji about the incident and claimed to be able to identify the cops.
The Central Sub-County Police Commander, the Sub-County Criminal Investigation Officer, and DCI Kamukunji CI Muchai, according to the police, started an unplanned operation and instructed city patrol officers to gather at the intersection of River Road and Ronald Ngala Street at noon.
When asked whether he could name the cops who had stolen from him, the complainant was able to name all four.
“The complainant, who had been invited in to see if he could recognise any of the officers, quickly recognised one No. 253694 Pc Wycliff Onsare Singombe, who was on prison kamukunji 16. The report states that the officer then named his coworkers as 1) No. 225929 Cpl Caroline Chelagat, 2) No. 104606 Pc (w) Prisca Kwamboka, and 3) No. 87000 Pc Raphael Ndugire Kinyanjui, who at that point were said to have left for lunch.
The complainant saw PC Kinyanjui later and recognised him as one of the three who had taken him when he spotted him walking upstairs. “The three officers were disarmed and escorted to Kamukunji Police Station,” the complaint said.
The policemen were reportedly searched, but no significant sum of money was found on them.
They were taken into custody in the cells after recording their statements and while inquiries continued.