Police in Voi have arrested three individuals suspected of masterminding a series of highway robberies along the Nairobi-Mombasa highway.
The suspects, David Karanja, Juma Jumamosi, and Josephine Nthamba Mutie, were apprehended following a brazen robbery that took place on April 9, 2025.
According to authorities, the trio waylaid a lorry transporting gypsum from Nairobi to Mombasa.
“On that fateful day, an Isuzu FRR truck with registration number KDC 020G was transporting gypsum from Nairobi to Mombasa. As the vehicle approached Ikanga area, one of the suspects dashed out from a nearby thicket, attempting to cross the road. In a split-second decision to avoid collision, the driver swerved, causing the truck to veer off the road and its engine to stall,” DCI said.
Unbeknownst to the driver, a group of about five individuals emerged from the bushes, with one of them brandishing a pistol. They forcefully entered the vehicle, handcuffed both the driver and his co-driver.
The victims were then dropped off at an isolated location before the suspects disappeared with the lorry.
“ They 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 meters away as the criminals vanished with the truck”, the detectives explained.
Following the 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.
The duo was 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.
As the search continued, a third key suspect, Nthamba, was apprehended in Makindu on June 2, 2025 and arraigned in court.
Detectives have obtained an additional 14-day custodial order to complete their investigations in efforts to pursue further leads aimed at apprehending more suspects linked to the highway robberies and recover the stolen lorry.
“The Directorate of Criminal Investigations remains unwavering in its commitment to combating highway crime, ensuring the safety and security of travellers”, the DCI assured.
