Amos Khaemba, a journalist at TUKO.co.ke, brings over four years of experience covering politics and current affairs in Kenya.

- Detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations have arrested three suspects linked to highway robberies.

In a statement on Wednesday, June 4, DCI announced the arrest of David Karanja, Juma Jumamosi and Josephine Nthamba Mutie.

According to the DCI, the three were arrested following a robbery incident that occurred on April 9, 2025, along the Nairobi-Mombasa Highway.

"In a bid to curb cases of highway robberies along the Nairobi-Mombasa highway, detectives in Voi have apprehended three individuals believed to be the masterminds behind these crimes. The trio, identified as David Karanja, Juma Jumamosi, and Josephine Nthamba Mutie, were arrested following a brazen robbery that occurred on April 9, 2025," DCI said.

On that day, the truck, registered as KDC 020G, was transporting gypsum from Nairobi to Mombasa.

As the vehicle neared Ikanga, a suspect suddenly dashed out from a nearby thicket, attempting to cross the road. In an attempt to avoid a collision, the driver swerved, causing the truck to veer off the road and stall its engine.

This moment of vulnerability was quickly exploited by a group of about five robbers who emerged from the bushes, with one brandishing a pistol.

They forcefully entered the vehicle, handcuffed the driver and his co-driver, and pushed them to the back of the truck. One of the robbers took the wheel, steering the truck towards Mombasa.

"The driver and his co-driver were handcuffed and bundled behind the seats. One of the robbers took the wheel, steering the lorry towards Mombasa. The two victims were unceremoniously dropped off about 300 metres away as the criminals vanished with the truck," DCI stated.

Detectives launched investigations, which led them to the arrest of three suspects and the recovery of a number plate belonging to the stolen lorry.

"Following this incident, detectives launched an investigation, and through meticulous forensic analysis, two of the suspects, Karanja and Jumamosi, were trailed and arrested at a hideout in Taveta. During their apprehension, Jumamosi led officers to his rented house in Bahati area of Taveta sub-county, where a number plate KDC 020G belonging to the stolen lorry was recovered, alongside a T-shaped screwdriver and two spanners," the statement added.

The suspects were subsequently presented before the Chief Magistrate’s Court in Voi on May 19, 2025, where detectives were granted a 14-day custodial order to further their investigation.

In a separate development, police in Nakuru apprehended seven individuals believed to be part of a criminal gang behind a string of armed robberies in the city.

The arrests occurred on the night of Sunday, June 1, when officers also seized an AK-47 rifle, which is suspected to have been used in the crimes.

Among those arrested were four Tanzanian nationals from the Kuria region, as well as a former inmate who had been released from Nakuru GK Prison approximately a month ago.

Speaking to the press at the DCI offices in Nakuru, County Commissioner Loyford Kibaara revealed that the firearm was recovered near a lodging in Bondeni following a shootout between the police officers, who were patrolling the Freehold area, and the suspects.

Source: TUKO.co.ke