The Untold Story of John Kiriamiti’s Daring Bank Robbery in Front of President Moi

In the 1990s, Kenya witnessed a wave of daring bank robberies that shocked the country. At a time when Peugeots dominated the roads the same way Subarus do today, stories of fearless robbers often made headlines.

Among the most notorious figures of that era was John Kiriamiti, a man whose name became legendary in both crime and literature. Though later reformed, Kiriamiti’s life of crime left behind tales that still sound unbelievable today.

One of his boldest acts is said to have happened in Naivasha, in a robbery that stunned even the highest office in the land. According to accounts, Kiriamiti and his gang planned a bank heist on the very morning President Daniel Toroitich arap Moi was traveling from Nairobi to Nakuru State House.

The thieves had timed their move with precision, unaware or perhaps unbothered by the fact that the Head of State’s convoy would be passing through the same area.

Armed with guns, Kiriamiti and his group stormed the bank, confronting the security officers and ordering them to obey their instructions. What shocked many witnesses was how the police officers were allegedly forced to sit down “like children,” powerless against the heavily armed gang.

By pure coincidence, President Moi’s convoy was passing by as the robbery unfolded. The president, curious and alarmed, reportedly stopped to inquire what exactly was happening in Naivasha.

The gang escaped with millions of shillings from the heist, leaving behind a trail of embarrassment for the police. President Moi, deeply angered by the audacity of the criminals, is said to have ordered his top security officers to hunt them down without delay.

The name that stood out most in this mission was John Kiriamiti. Police boss Patrick Shaw and other top detectives were instructed to track him, dead or alive.

For a while, Kiriamiti managed to outwit the authorities, escaping capture several times. But his luck eventually ran out.

After years of playing hide-and-seek with the police, he was finally arrested and sentenced to 30 years in prison. His time in jail would later transform him from a feared criminal into one of Kenya’s most celebrated authors.

Behind bars, John Kiriamiti began writing books that told gripping stories about his life in crime. Some of his most famous works include:

• My Life in Crime (1980)
• My Life with a Criminal: Milly’s Story (1984)
• Son of Fate (1994)
• The Sinister Trophy (2000)
• My Life in Prison (2004)

Through these books, Kiriamiti painted vivid pictures of Kenya’s criminal underworld, though many readers and critics note that about half of the tales were exaggerated or fictionalized — “jaba,” as it is often called — to make the stories more thrilling and appealing to the public.

After completing his sentence at Kamiti Maximum Prison, Kiriamiti did not return to crime. Instead, he reinvented himself as a philanthropist and social reformer.

He dedicated his life to helping street children and rehabilitating ex-criminals in his hometown of Murang’a. His transformation from a feared bank robber to a respected community leader remains one of the most dramatic turnarounds in Kenya’s history.

The story of John Kiriamiti reminds Kenyans of an era when crime seemed unstoppable, yet it also shows that even the most notorious criminal can change and choose a different path in life.

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