Robberies are no new thing in Kenya. We have heard of or seen a bank robbery, church robbery, residence robbery, mall or supermarket robbery and carjacking to name just but a few.
Bank robberies are usually characterised by firearms wielding robbers who are masked, no-nonsense and leave terror in their wake after turning the whole place upside down.
But there have been instances where robbers rob a place like they have got all the time on earth and even sing to their hostages or even pray with them, join them for a meal or even stay at their homes for some time before finally leaving with their loot. Such incidences are contrary to the way we normally know the robbers who normally kill and loot.
Here is a list of the most amusing robberies in Kenya.
1. 1999 Mashreq Bank Robbery
This bank got robbed twice in one year; 1999. The first time was in July and 6 robbers robbed the bank at midday and stole Ksh 9 million. One of the robbers who was watching over the horrified hostages started singing the lyrics to the hymn abide by me.
Other gangsters joined him while clapping and jumping and they later sang the famous tithing song “Toa ndugu, toa dada ulichonacho wewe…” as they ceremoniously collected “tithe” and “offertory” from the horrified hostages. Other robbers were at the entrance welcoming bank customers in who blankly never knew what was happening.
2. Michael Matheka Home Robbery
In one of the most brazen robberies ever, robbers raided the home of businessman Michael Matheka in Machakos while he was out with his family and robbed it for a whole week. The robbers ate and slept at the property for a whole week while slowly moving out the goods at night.
They even fished from the fishpond in the compound and treated themselves with a scrumptious meal of ugali and Fish. Residents reported the matter after being suspicious and all the criminals were apprehended.
3. KCB Thika Branch Robbery
Robbers in this robbery incident dug a 30-metre long tunnel into KCB Thika’s strongroom and stole more than Ksh 50 million. They then slipped away unnoticed and without triggering an alarm or even firing any bullet…many people were amazed at the brilliance of these robbers who later turned out to be campus students.
4. Habib Bank AG Zurich Robbery
The gangsters in this robbery spent two nights in the bank while looting. They seemed to have been prepared to spend the whole weekend inside Habib Bank as they had carried with them packed githeri, chips, chicken, rice and beef …meals which were “escorted” down with milk. Guards in the premise never knew what was happening all that time until the following morning when the staff sounded the alarm.
