Night watchman killed as thieves raid liquor shop in Kahawa West

Residents gather at the Rynic Liquour & Lounge where a night guard was brutally murdered and stock of over Sh2.5 million stolen.[James Wanzala, Standard]

A night guard was murdered on Tuesday night while watching over a liquor shop along Kamae Road in Kahawa West, Kiambu County.

The incident at Kamae Garage Centre saw goods valued at over Sh2 million stolen, according to the shop owner, Newton Mwongera.

On Wednesday morning, angry residents gathered at the shop.

"I was called in the morning at 7am and told my liquor shop had been robbed and that my watchman had also been killed," said a distraught Mwongera.

He added: "I called the local police boss and the Director of Criminal Investigations (DCI), who mobilised officers and came to collect the body."

According to Mwongera, the robbers killed the watchman, aged around 40 years, using crude weapons after tying his hands and legs.

He said the robbery was carried out with precision, as the perpetrators dismantled the CCTV installation and took away the hard disk.

"From the look of things, the robbers were professional and knew what they were doing. They broke about eight padlocks, switched off the power supply in case electricity came back while they were in the act," said Mwongera.

He said the robbery at Rynic Liquor & Lounge, which was opened two weeks ago on November 20 and is part of Nairobi City County branded shops, cost him over Sh2 million worth of stock.

"We had stocked liquor worth up to Sh16,000 per bottle. They stole all the alcohol and only left soft drinks. Whatever little remained looks like they lacked space to carry. I have lost stock valued at over Sh2.5 million," he said.

Mwongera blamed Kenya Power for the theft, saying the area had been in darkness for the past three days.

"Had there been power, this might not have happened. Now I have lost stock and also a watchman," he said.