Nairobi — Detectives in Nairobi have launched a manhunt for a man believed to be part of a gang that orchestrated a robbery on an MPESA outlet Saturday that left two agents dead.
The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) has released CCTV footage that appears to show a middle-aged man being handed a bottle of water from the shop before he stretches his hand to take a phone that was lying on the counter and fled the scene after being confronted by two women who were inside the shop.
The agency called on the public to provide them with any relevant information that could help track down and nab the suspect.
"Do you know this, Ninja? He is one of the thugs targeting Mpesa shops in Nairobi and its environs. The thug is part of a wider armed and dangerous gang that staged an attack at Mpesa shops located at Adams market. Two agents a man and a woman were shot dead in the Saturday incident," the agency asked in a plea posted on their official Twitter account.
The DCI stated that the arrest of the suspects will help deliver justice to the victims and their families.
"Kindly assist us in finding him and deliver justice to the families of the victims and many other Mpesa agents who continue to suffer in their hands," said the DCI.
Mpesa outlets across the country have become a soft target for gangs because of lack of proper security measures in place despite dealing in financial transactions.
Just a month ago on May 6, armed robbers staged attacks in four M-Pesa shops in Nairobi's Kamukunji area making away with Sh 1.3 million.
Police said all the targeted M-Pesa shops were adjacent to each other less than 2 kilometers from Shauri Moyo Police Station.
They occurred at 5:30am. MPESA agents in this area open early due to anticipated transactions by second-hand clothes and shoes dealers.
According to police, the first shop was robbed of Sh 240, 000, the second one 300,000 while the robbers managed to get away with Sh 800, 000 from third.
Police say the suspects pointed pistols on the victims before ordering them to surrender all the money then fled to Majengo slum.
The incident came at a time of reported increased crime in parts of the Nairobi city with a recent report from the Kenya national bureau of Statistics revealing that 6, 686 crimes were reported to police in Nairobi alone in 2021.
