- In an interview with TUKO.co.ke, private investigator Jane Mugoh outlined how a suspected car thief steals from Kenyans
- She explained the reason for placing a reward for any information that would lead to the suspect’s arrest
- A company from Mombasa also disclosed to TUKO.co.ke how the same suspect made off with their car days after an agreement
Nancy Odindo, a TUKO.co.ke journalist, has over four years of experience covering Kenyan politics, news, and features for digital and print media.
Private detective Jane Mugoh has issued a public appeal for assistance in tracking down a suspected cross-border car thief.
Source: Original
The suspect, Sospeter Mwangi Gutu, is believed to be behind a series of vehicle thefts across the country.
How does Sospeter Mwangi steal from Kenyans?
Speaking exclusively with TUKO.co.ke, Mugoh disclosed that Mwangi has developed a sophisticated scheme targeting car hire companies and private vehicle owners.
One of the incidents she recounted involved a vehicle stolen in Nairobi.
He allegedly hired the vehicle under pretences, claiming he needed to transport his father from Oloitoktok, Kajiado, to a hospital.
However, investigations later revealed that his father lives in Kitale, raising suspicions about the legitimacy of the story.
Mugoh explained that Mwangi frequently visits towns such as Malindi, Emali, and Mombasa, where he hires vehicles and submits all required documents before disappearing.
“Typically, he pays for fewer days than agreed—if he hires a car for five days, he pays for only three—and then changes the destination after pickup, promising to settle the remaining balance later. In many cases, vehicle owners discover that the car’s tracker has been disabled, the number plates have been changed, and the vehicle has crossed into Tanzania. There are even cases he and his accomplices drug motorists and steal their vehicles,” Mugoh said, adding that she had worked with the DCIO and OCS in Oloitoktok to arrest some of Mwangi’s accomplices.
She expressed frustration with certain police officers who, instead of investigating, advise victims to file insurance claims, stating that ‘they make my work frustrating and disheartening.’
Will Mugoh reward volunteers with Mwangi’s whereabouts?
Mugoh emphasised the urgency of stopping Mwangi and dismantling the network of cartels allegedly working with rogue police officers.
Source: Facebook
The award-winning spy announced a KSh 50,000 reward for any Kenyan who can provide credible information leading to Mwangi’s arrest.
” I am giving a reward of KSh 50,000 to anybody who will give information regarding this guy. The information will lead to his arrest and stop him and cartels in the police service who are working with him from stealing other vehicles. Remember, when your neighbour’s car is stolen today, tomorrow it will be yours,” she said.
She also raised concerns about the fate of Kenyan vehicles trafficked into Tanzania, noting that some are vandalised while others have their registration details altered.
She further cautioned the public, especially during the festive season, when vehicle hiring and borrowing spike.
“Be careful not to encounter Sospeter Mwangi. He’ll give you his ID and then disappear with your car,” she said.
Did Mwangi’s victims search for their cars?
One victim leased his car to City on the Go (Samralt Ltd) in May 2025. The arrangement ran smoothly until September, when the vehicle was hired by Mwangi and later tracked to Rombo, Tanzania.
Source: Original
Despite promises to return the car and misleading photos suggesting it was in Nairobi, the vehicle vanished.
Attempts to reach Mwangi’s father yielded conflicting responses, and follow-ups with the police and DCI were met with delays.
“While at a DCI office together with the officers, they asked if I could file an insurance claim stating the vehicle was stolen from a parking lot so the company and DCI officers could replace the OB number, a request I refused and insisted we find the car,” he said.
The car was reportedly sold in Rombo, Tanzania.
Another victim, Dakkena Motors Ltd from Mombasa, also told TUKO.co.ke that Mwangi hired their vehicle on October 11, 2025, for a dowry ceremony, paid for only two days, and disappeared.
“He lied that he wanted the car to use it in ferrying the visitors for a dowry in Oloitoktok,” they recalled.
The car was later found at a petrol station in Tanzania with crude weapons inside.
“We were advised to pose as potential buyers and alert the police once we saw the car. Unfortunately, there was no network, and we couldn’t communicate. We couldn’t risk taking the car due to safety concerns,” the company said.
Source: Original
According to the details, Mwangi’s accomplices include Daniel Njia, Erick Mugatia, John Gutu (his alleged father from Oloitoktok), Irene Wanjiru (his cousin from Coast), and Agnes, alias Mama Kagendo, from Naivasha.
She further revealed that the trainer of the scammers is currently serving a life sentence at a Kenyan prison.
Suspect who conned doctor of KSh 1.4m arrested
In other news, Mugoh exposed a suspected scammer who allegedly conned a Kenyan doctor based in Australia out of over KSh 1.4 million in a fake tractor deal.
The suspect, Abiud Esonga, claimed to be in Turkey during the negotiation.
After the doctor completed the payments, Esonga reportedly vanished and switched off his phones. He was later arrested after months of evasion and charged with obtaining money by false pretenses.
Source: TUKO.co.ke
