Gangs steals Sh20 Million in raid at Mwai Kibaki's Muthaiga Estate

Gangs steals Sh20M in raid at Kibaki's Estate

Mwangi Gathanwa

June 8, 2021 8:11 AM

The victim also neighbours UK High Commissioner and former Nairobi Governor.

Former President Mwai Kibaki

A gang of three men struck retired President Mwai Kibaki’s neighbourhood in Muthaiga and stole Sh20 million cash in a robbery that took only 30 minutes on Sunday, June 6.

The thugs broke into the residence of Harish Patel, a businessman who runs the Kenya Horticultural Export Ltd family business.

Security officials are trying to uncover how such a robbery took place at the house which neighbours United Kingdom’s High Commissioner to Kenya Jane Marriot and former Nairobi Governor Evans Kidero.

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Muthaiga is home to the country’s richest among them Jimmy Wanjigi and a host of foreign envoys. The estate enjoys protection by police officers.

According to officers aware of the investigation, the gang did not shoot during the heist, therefore didn’t raise any suspicion. Two of the suspects had pistols.

The robbers breached the businessman’s security at around 6.30am. Jewelry of unknown value was also stolen in the heist.

“They first cut the electric fence before they scaled the perimeter wall,” police said.

The investigations are pointing to an inside job and all the staff at the residence have been interrogated.

“We have also taken their mobile phone numbers for analysis to establish if they were in communication with the suspects,” Starehe sub-county police commander Julius Kiragu explained.

Striking resemblance

The early morning raid, the DCI said, is similar to one that targeted billionaire Manu Chandaria who lives in the same neighbourhood.

In December 2020, Chandaria was also attacked by three men at 1am.

The family was not harmed but the gang made away with cash and items of unknown value.

All three security officers who were manning the compound were arrested as police probed whether the heist was an inside job.

Mwangi Gathanwa