A businesswoman in Kisumu is counting losses after being robbed of Sh230,000 at gunpoint as residents continue to grapple with the curfew order.
Judith Akumu Ambani of Kapuonja South village, was on Sunday night stripped of Sh200,000 in cash and forced to send Sh30,000 through M-Pesa in Kisumu West subcounty.
She operates an M-Pesa shop at Daraja Mbili centre. Police say she had just arrived home around 6:45pm when she was ambushed by five unknown men - one armed with a suspected G3 rifle.
According to Ambani's statement, one of the attackers was in a police jacket. Two entered her bedroom where they took her handbag containing the Sh200,000. She was forced to send the other amount to phone number 0745962010, she told the police.
County police commander Ranson Lolmondoni said the men also took three phones - a Tecno Camon 11, Huawei and Oppo and a 32-inch Scnynex TV set valued at Sh15,000.
Ambani sustained minor injuries on her face. She suspects they followed her home from her shop.
On their way out of her home, her statement reads, the attackers fired four rounds in the air before escaping on two motorcycles.
The incident came barely a day after firearms were stolen at Kibos police post. It is suspected the stolen guns were used in the robbery.
Kisumu West OCPD Edward Kang’ara declined to comment on the matter and instead referred us to his deputy who also refused to talk about the incident.
“I am off duty. You can talk to my deputy,” Kang’ara said on the phone. His deputy, however, said the OCPD was better placed to comment on the matter.
On Saturday night, according to police sources, three firearms were stolen at the Kibos police post, Muhoroni subcounty. Officers have launched a search.
The thugs also made away with several rounds of ammunition during the 11.20pm incident.
Muhoroni subcounty police boss David Muniu said the criminals broke into the armoury when the report office personnel went for a nature call in his house.
"When he came back he found the armoury had been broken into by unknown persons and all the three rifles missing," he said.
Muniu said the rifles were stolen alongside two G3 magazines, two MP5 magazines, 135 rounds of 7.62mm and 20 rounds of 9mm calibres.
The padlock to the armoury door was not found at the scene.
Muniu said reinforcement from Miwani police station was combing the nearby sugarcane plantations.
The footprints, he said, could not be traced due to heavy downpour. On Tuesday, it remained unclear if police had recovered any of the stolen firearms.
Muniu did not answer calls or replied messages sent to him.
Edited by R.Wamochie
