How driver was hijacked, Sh7 million lorry stolen

A lorry. (Courtesy/iStock)

A lorry driver, now the main complainant following the owner’s death, has revealed in court documents how he was hijacked by armed men in a Subaru car bearing a GK number plate before being dumped near a police camp in Saika after forcing him to drink water mixed with a concoction.

Preliminary investigations led to the arrest of a salesman Kenneth Kilel Kiprono alias Koech who took a plea on August 12, 2024. Also, recently arrested and charged is Tigoni Fresh Dairies line manager Bonface Mutheti Kithuku.

During plea taking, the court was told that Mutheti with others not before the court, stole a motor vehicle registration Number KCA 928G make Mitsubishi FH lorry valued at Sh7 million, the property of Isaack Karuma Mungai (now deceased).

The incident happened on March 20, 2021, in Kariobangi within the Huruma area in Nairobi County.

The lorry driver Peter Kiarie together with his two brothers had been entrusted with the lorry following the demise of Mungai.

Five days before the incident, Mutheti is alleged to have called Kiarie requesting vehicle hire services. They wanted to distribute milk products to Namanga, Oloitoktok, Taveta and Emali areas.

Kiarie further alleged that Mutheti called him seeking to hire the lorry and he agreed to pay him Sh45,000 before instructing him to pick Kilel (salesman) in Lari area the following day to accompany him. It took Kiarie and Kilel four days to distribute the milk before returning to Nairobi on March 20. They stopped at Mlolongo Weighbridge to take stock of the remaining products before heading towards Githurai through Outering Road.

At the Pipeline area, Kiarie dropped Kilel and continued with the journey but just before he reached Umoja Flyover, he noticed a Subaru car which he said had a GK number plate blinking from behind as if to signal him to give way. He slowed down and suddenly was blocked. Four armed men ordered him to alight at gunpoint. He was bundled into the Subaru car where the men introduced themselves as DCI officers from Buruburu.

Investigations established that during the distribution of milk, Kilel had three handsets with several SIM cards registered under different people.
A letter was sent to the Liaison officer at Safaricom requesting all numbers registered under seven different identities be made available to the authorities to aid in the probe.

Mutheti however denied claims and he was freed on a Sh5 million bond and an alternative bail of Sh1 million. The matter will be heard on February 11, 2025.