Probe as man loses Sh1.37 million in briefcase theft at Karen petrol station, Nairobi

Detectives are investigating an incident where a man lost Sh1,377,277 in cash after an unknown suspect allegedly stole a briefcase from his vehicle at a petrol station in Karen, Nairobi.

The victim, an employee of a private agency, reported the incident on Wednesday, October 28, 2026.

The man had withdrawn the money from a bank in the area at around noon and placed it in a black briefcase inside his Toyota Land Cruiser.

He later drove to Karen Shell Petrol Station to refill his gas cylinder, he told police.

It was during the stop that an unknown person allegedly opened his vehicle and made away with the briefcase containing the cash.

CCTV footage reviewed by police reportedly showed the suspect entering a white Toyota Fielder before speeding off towards the general direction of Ngong.

Police officers visited the scene and reviewed the CCTV footage as investigations commenced.

The suspect had not been identified or arrested and the stolen cash had not been recovered on Thursday, police said.

Investigations are ongoing to establish the circumstances of the theft and trace the suspect and the missing money.

Police suspect the thieves trailed the victim from the bank or had prior information on the cash.

Such incidents have been on the rise amid probe to solve the trend.

Police investigations have linked them to a cabal operating in banking halls. They monitor transactions before they trail customers and stage robberies.

Meanwhile, a civil servant attached to the Office of the Deputy President’s Communication Department was robbed of equipment valued at approximately Sh3.7 million in Nyayo Highrise Estate, Nairobi.

The victim reported that two young men confronted him at around 5:30am on October 28, 2026, and fled with a laptop, four cameras and their lenses, personal effects, and Sh1,600 in cash.

He was leaving to join the DP Prof Kithure Kindiki in his Kiambu tour when the incident happened. Kindiki has been camping in parts of Central Kenya for campaigns.

He said was walking from his residence in Block H5 towards a parking area about 50 meters away, where an official vehicle was waiting to pick him up, when he encountered the two suspects.

The assailants robbed him of the items before escaping from the scene.

Police officers responded to the incident at Highrise Estate and documented the scene as investigations commenced.

The stolen equipment, valued at approximately Sh3.7 million, was reported to be government property.

No recoveries had been made, and no suspects had been arrested by Thursday morning.

Investigations are ongoing to establish the identities of the suspects and recover the stolen equipment, police said.

A team pursued the gang towards Kibera where they are believed to have escaped.

Police warned anyone against buying such equipment.