There was a dramatic scene in Ruiru, Kiambu County, on Wednesday evening after a group of angry boda boda riders stormed a loan company accused of running a criminal network that targets motorcyclists. The company, which allegedly offers loans to riders, is being accused of drugging them and later stealing the same motorcycles it had financed.
The riders, who mainly operate from Zimmerman in Nairobi, said they had taken motorbikes on loan from the company, only to later discover that some of the same bikes—previously reported stolen—were being displayed for sale at the company’s yard.
The shocking discovery sparked outrage among the riders, who accused the firm of using loans as a cover to steal and resell their property.
According to the riders, several of their colleagues have recently fallen victim to strange theft incidents involving unknown individuals posing as ordinary passengers.
These fake customers allegedly drugged the riders during trips before making away with their motorcycles, cash, and phones.
In one incident, a rider narrated that he was hired by a passenger who later drugged him, causing him to lose consciousness. When he woke up, both his motorcycle and personal belongings were gone.
The victim later reported the case at Membly Police Station. Upon tracing the motorcycle’s tracker, it was discovered that the signal had been deactivated in Mlolongo, Machakos County.
However, when the rider visited the loan company a day later to follow up, he was shocked to find the same motorcycle at the firm’s premises, allegedly being cleaned and prepared for sale.
Disturbed by what they believed to be a deliberate scam, the rider and his colleagues quickly alerted other boda boda operators, leading to a dramatic raid on the company that evening.
“These people we trusted with our loans are the same ones behind our suffering,” said one of the victims, Samuel Oyaro, during the confrontation. “They come to our stages pretending to be genuine customers, only to drug us and steal our motorcycles, phones, and money.
They even did that to my close friend, who was robbed of his bike and other valuables after being drugged.”
The riders demanded that the authorities take swift and firm action against the company, which they accused of running a well-organized racket to repossess motorcycles through criminal means.
They also called for an extensive investigation to uncover how the firm was allegedly linked to the increasing number of theft cases reported in Zimmerman, Kahawa West, and Ruiru.
Confirming the incident, Ruiru Sub-County Police Commander Maina Kibathi said the police had received several complaints from the aggrieved riders and responded by raiding the company’s premises.
“We received a report from a complainant who claimed his motorcycle had been stolen, only for him to later find it at this company. When the riders stormed the premises, we came to verify the situation,” Kibathi said.
He added that all motorcycles found on the premises had been seized and taken to the police station pending further investigation. “We will now allow the owners to come with proper documents to verify ownership. Once that is confirmed, we will determine the next legal steps,” he explained.
The incident has raised fresh concerns among boda boda riders, many of whom depend on loans to purchase motorcycles for daily income.
The riders are now urging police to investigate other similar loan firms operating within Nairobi and Kiambu counties, fearing that more riders could be falling victim to such criminal schemes disguised as legitimate financing businesses.
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