Prostitute pickpockets of River Road on the loose

Some cunning commercial sex workers operating in Nairobi’s downtown streets have turned to shrewd styles of robbing their clients as well as passers-by.

A number of Nairobians walking along Luthuli Avenue and River Road late in the night have fallen victim to these crafty ladies who rob them in puzzling ways.

Francis, a city college student told The Nairobian he cannot explain how he was robbed but in less than a minute he had lost all his money. Defying explanation is how his wallet and other contents remained intact.

“I was approached by two scantily dressed women who persuaded me to pay for a steamy session but I declined. After an argument that barely lasted a minute, they let me go but when I arrived home, Sh600 was missing from my wallet,” he said.

We established they target lone pedestrians particularly those who appear drunk. They mob and even caress them, all the while emptying their pockets.

“They know that when they caress men, they confuse them and in the process, rob them. They are shrewd and quick,” a city accountant who fell victim awhile back explained.

The sex workers prefer to rob their victims of money and in most cases, avoid mobile phones and other pocket gadgets, which can arouse the suspicion of their victims. They then hide among other ladies and it becomes difficult to single out the culprit.

“In two minutes, you can establish that your phone or pocket camera is missing but money missing from your wallet, maybe several hours later,” said Joseph Ngugi, a pub attendant privy to these deeds.

“They are solely interested in money. That’s why they return the wallet minus its contents. If your wallet was in the side pocket, you may find it in the back pocket and that’s when you learn you have become poorer by some hundreds or thousands,” said Ngugi.