- Three Kenya Railways employees were arrested at Sultan Hamud Station while siphoning fuel from train wagons
- Acting on the information received from the public, the police seized jerrycans and water bottles filled with stolen petrol
- The suspects face charges of economic sabotage as authorities vow tougher action against fuel theft
Kai Eli, a journalist at TUKO.co.ke, brings more than three years of experience covering politics and current affairs in Kenya.
Three employees of Kenya Railways are in police custody in connection to the theft of fuel from a locomotive.
Source: Twitter
Officers from Kenya Railways and Port Police caught up with the trio as they siphoned fuel from train wagons at the Sultan Hamud Railways Station.
The suspects, locomotive driver Nicodemus Keya, security guard Mutunga Mwanzia, and Geoffrey Irungu, were apprehended in the act after alert members of the public notified authorities about their illegal activity.
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How police arrested suspects thieves of train fuel
Police officers responded without delay, raiding the location and confiscating two 20-litre jerrycans along with two 18-litre water dispenser bottles, all filled with stolen fuel.
While the train remained stationed at Sultan Hamud Railway Station awaiting a replacement driver, the trio was swiftly taken to Emali Railways Police Station, where they would be processed ahead of their court appearance.
The police said the trio will face charges for their attempts to sabotage the economy, adding that the noose will be tightened on such criminal acts.
“The National Police Service remains firmly committed to combating fuel theft and all forms of economic sabotage through sustained vigilance, swift action, and strong public partnership, the police said.
Cases of employees robbing fuel from vessels they are entrusted with are not new.
A few months back, officers from the DCI’s Operation Support Unit apprehended individuals linked to a fuel theft scheme.
The suspects were employees of the Kenya Union of Savings and Credit Cooperatives (KUSCCO) Ltd.
Investigators from the DCI reported that they unlawfully syphoned 600 litres of diesel from the firm’s reservoirs.
How DCI recovered KSh 107k fuel loot
Acting on intelligence, the officers pursued the group, who had been assigned to safeguard fuel worth KSh 107,460 intended for the company’s generators in Upper Hill but instead chose to steal it.
Source: Facebook
The suspects were identified as John Kioko and Michael Kioko, along with their accomplice, pickup driver Gabriel Ngeta, aged 48.
They were placed in custody as detectives, working with officials from the Energy Petroleum and Regulatory Authority (EPRA), wrapped up investigations ahead of their arraignment.
KPC employees busted looting KSh 2.4m fuel
Elsewhere, three employees of the Kenya Pipeline Company (KPC) faced prosecution over the theft of petroleum products from the firm’s Kisumu terminal.
Reuben Andolo Aseneka, Joseph Mbugua Mwai, and Mutai Micah were accused of conspiring to steal 13,852 litres of motor spirit premium, commonly referred to as petrol, belonging to oil marketers but held in KPC’s custody.
The stolen fuel was valued at KSh 2.4 million.
When they appeared before Kisumu Chief Magistrate Dickson Onyango, the three denied the charges.
The prosecution opposed their release on bond, arguing that the offence constituted economic sabotage under the law.
In his ruling, the magistrate acknowledged that bond is a constitutional right, though not absolute, and granted each of the accused release on a bond of KSh 500,000 with a surety of the same amount.
Source: TUKO.co.ke
