NEMA Robbery

Gangsters broke into the headquarters of the National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) in Nairobi on Friday and stole computers.

Guards on duty at the offices in the city’s South C suburb told police that an unknown number of thugs stormed the offices at about 1 am and tied them with ropes before they broke in and the computers among other items.

“That is the version the guards are giving us, but I think there is something else they are not telling us,” said Embakasi divisional Police chief David Bunei who led a team of officers to the scene near Bellevue, off Mombasa road.

Mr Bunei said five guards who were duty at the time had been picked for questioning because they took too long to report the incident.

While the burglary took place at 1am, Mr Bunei said, it took the guards up to 4am to inform officers at Akila Police Post which is about 500 meters away.

“They (guards) claim that they were all tied and could not be able to move for four hours. This is not sufficient reason because they have not explained how they eventually managed to untie themselves when they went to report the matter to the police,” he said.

Mr Bunei said that the guards had been arrested for questioning as investigations into the robbery got underway.

He said when police arrived at the scene at 4am, they found various offices broken into and various items, including computers, stolen.

None of the guards sustained injuries during the robbery.

Mr Bunei said cases of burglaries have been on the increase, with up to three incidences reported weekly in his region. On Monday night, two guards were killed when gangsters broke into a furniture bazaar on Mombasa road.

Police believe the guards were bludgeoned to death when they tried to block more than 15 gangsters from gaining access to the premises, where several items were also stolen.