A daring Nairobi phone snatcher opened the window of a moving matatu, grabbed a passenger’s phone and fled, only for the victim to jump out of the vehicle and give chase.
The dramatic incident was captured on video and has since circulated on social media.
In the footage, the suspected thief is seen moving towards the window of the moving matatu before swiftly opening it and snatching the passenger’s phone.
He immediately runs away, weaving between other matatus as the vehicle continues along the road.
The passenger appears determined to recover his phone and climbs out through the same window before running after the suspect.
It is not clear whether the victim managed to catch up with the suspected thief or recover his phone.
The incident comes amid continued reports of phone snatching in Nairobi, with police carrying out operations targeting suspected thieves and networks dealing in stolen mobile devices.
In July, the National Police Service said phone snatching remained a common challenge in Nairobi, with criminals targeting pedestrians and motorists before using the city's busy streets to escape.
Police arrested four people in separate operations in Kawangware and the Nairobi Bus Station area, recovering mobile phones and other electronic gadgets believed to have been stolen.
Days earlier, police arrested five suspects in an operation in Mathare's Kosovo area and recovered 65 assorted mobile phones, three laptops and other items believed to have been stolen.
The scale of the trade was further highlighted in January when detectives recovered more than 900 suspected stolen phones in Nairobi's Central Business District.
The devices were intercepted in packages allegedly destined for Uganda.
In August, police said four men had allegedly robbed a passenger of a phone from a moving vehicle in Githurai, triggering a pursuit.
One man was later fatally shot, although his family disputed the police account and said he had been wrongly accused.
The latest video adds to growing concern over the risks faced by Nairobi residents using mobile phones near busy roads and on public transport.
