• Police want to understand how and why the dogs belonging to a security company that was offering service to the compound died.
• They also want to know why the removed private guards were changed amid claims they could have been involved in the robbery.
Image: FILE
Police are investigating how dogs deployed in the compound of billionaire Manu Chandaria were poisoned before robbers stole Sh600,000 and jewelry.
The police are also probing guards who were removed from the compound last week and later replaced by two who were found tied in a room after the robbery had happened.
Police want to understand how and why the dogs belonging to a security company that was offering service to the compound died.
They also want to know why the removed private guards were changed amid claims they could have been involved in the robbery.
Chandaria and his wife Aruna were robbed of Sh600,000 and jewelry of unknown value in the dramatic robbery.
“We want to know why they were poisoned and what happened later on,” said an officer aware of the probe.
Deputy Inspector General of Administration Police Noor Gabow visited the compound to assure the family of safety and told them they will get extra police guards.
Gabow said they are investigating the incident to establish those behind it.
He said at least three officers will be guarding the compound henceforth.
Police are investigating why there was only one AP officer from the Critical Infrastructure Unit sent to the compound instead of two as it is the norm.
“We want to establish if it was a mistake or intentional to enhance the said robbery,” an officer said.
A gang of eight raided the compound in a dramatic incident and robbed the family of the cash and jewelry.
It is not clear how they gained access to the compound and later to the house.The police officer and two guards on duty were found tied in a room there but without uniforms as it should be.
They told police they were stripped naked and offered new sets of clothes by their attackers.
Chandaria told police he heard a loud bang on his entrance and when he woke up to check what had happened he found two men in his bedroom.
This was after his efforts to reach the security through the phone didn’t bear fruits.
The gang was armed with a pistol and a cutter when they arrived in the bedroom and they demanded cash and jewelry before he showed them where the safe was.
The gang grabbed the Sh600,000 that was there and jewelry of unknown value before leaving.
It is not clear how many they were but the guards told police they were about eight.
They then fired to the air as Chandaria and his family and the neighbors caved in for their safety.
The gang left the G3 rifle they had grabbed from the police officer they had attacked.
The gun was found in a bush near the residence with three of its bullets missing indicating the gang used it in shooting that happened there.
This is because the police guard on duty told police the rifle had 20 bullets when he was robbed of it but it had 17 when police recovered it.
Police also recovered two spent cartridges belonging to a pistol meaning the gang was also armed. They are being analysed by ballistic experts.
Neighbors said they heard a sporadic shooting from the home.
Immediately after the incident was reported, a frenzy of activities occurred there with Nairobi head of police Rashid Yakub and a team of police officers visiting the home.
He assured the businessman and his family of their safety. Witnesses said the family was terrified then.
President Kenyatta and police boss Hilary Mutyambai are among those who talked to Chandaria then on the phone to assure him of his safety.
They told him the matter will be investigated and those behind the incident be caught.
A team of General Service Unit which guards other compounds there also arrived at the scene.
Detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) have launched investigations to establish whether it was a case of collusion or just a normal robbery as a result of negligence of the officers.
It is suspected the gang had been informed there was huge amount of money in the house prompting the daring robbery.
This is because they demanded for Sh10 million from the businessman but found Sh600,000.
Such attacks have not been common in the area where several prominent individuals including former President Mwai Kibaki, Mama Ngina Kenyatta, former governor Evans Kidero, businessman Joshua Kulei and businessman Jimmy Wanjigi among others reside.
A number of ambassadors live in the area.
Chandaria is one of the richest and influential Kenyans.