This archive report was first published on 16 July 2019.
On July 16, 2019, a botched robbery attempt at an M-Pesa shop in Lodwar town led to the arrest of two suspects. The incident unfolded when the suspects, posing as customers, took an M-Pesa phone and attempted to flee with it to a parked car.
According to eyewitness Ms. Rose Kwamboka, the suspects left their phone in exchange for the M-Pesa phone and ran towards their car. Kwamboka raised the alarm, and a mob gave chase, catching up with the suspects before they were rescued by police officers.
During the scuffle, the suspects managed to swipe the M-Pesa line, which had afloat of about Sh200,000. Turkana County Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) officer Mr. James Lelai confirmed that two suspects, Mrs. Jane Wambui and Mr. George Lumumba, were arrested in connection with the incident, with one accomplice escaping on foot.
The suspects are currently in police custody and will be arraigned once investigations are completed. The DCI officer urged the public to cooperate with the police to help apprehend the remaining suspect.
