Kenyans have raised alarm over the rising cases of violent carjacking along the busy Southern Bypass.
This is after it emerged that the number of carjackers targeting motorists along the road connecting motorists from the Ole Sereni area of Nairobi to Kikuyu.
As a result, security agencies in the country have been put on the spot for failing to crack a whip on a series of highway robberies targeting motorists.
The incidents have mainly been aided by carjackers who have taken advantage of the festive seasons to lay ambush on unsuspecting members of the public.
A photo of a section of Southern Bypass under renovations.
Photo
KeNHA
The carjackers, according to victims who have fallen prey to their risky behaviour. According to the victims and other witnesses, the robbers are placing nails on the road hammered on timber to deflate cars that use the road.
The suspects are also said to be placing stones on the key highway to prevent vehicles from getting away. Once a vehicle’s tyres are deflated or the car slows down, the gang is said to lay siege on the motorists then, demanding all valuables in their possession.
Among those who have fallen victim to the incident include a family of four who were ambushed on the road on December 28, leaving them nursing cuts and other injuries.
”They sometimes place stones so that when a vehicle attempts to pass, its tyres are immediately deflated, enabling them to do the carjacks,” one boda boda rider operating on the stretch narrated.
”As I was driving, I saw something like a rock on the road and nails, so as I tried to swerve, my tyre immediately busted, and that’s how I fell victim,” revealed one of the latest victims who is currently recuperating at Kenyatta National Hospital.
Long-distance and truck drivers using the Southern Bypass have been the most affected, as their vehicles usually stall along the stretch due to mechanical issues. At such times, the robbers usually stage attacks and injure the victims.
According to victims, the carjackers use pangas and other blunt objects to maim and injure road users.
“Whenever we have breakdowns, the gangs attack drivers using pangas. They also steel our batteries, complicating the matter further,” Mustafar Abudulkadir, a long-distance truck driver, narrated.
The security situation at the Southern Bypass has been a concern for a long time, even before the festive season. Motorists have raised concerns, but policing agencies have responded little.
This is despite the national government’s, through Interior Ministry Principal Secretary Raymond Omollo’s directive to security agencies to beef up security along major highways during the festive season.
Vehicles parked along Southern Bypass in Nairobi.
Photo
KeNHA