A photo collage of a politician's delegation swapping vehicles along the Nairobi Expressway. Photo/Courtesy
Detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) have warned Kenyans against sharing unverified information online after a video purporting to show motorists being robbed along the Nairobi Expressway went viral on social media.
The DCI said detectives from its Kilimani office had identified and summoned the people captured in the video, including the alleged victim, and recorded their statements.
Preliminary findings from the statements indicate that the incident was not a robbery and the agency says investigations are still ongoing and that it is seeking to document all the relevant facts.
It has urged members of the public to avoid circulating claims that have not been verified, while encouraging anyone with credible information that could assist the investigation to report to the nearest police station.
“The persons depicted in the clip, including the alleged victim, have been identified, summoned and their statements recorded. Preliminary investigations, based on the recorded statements, indicate that the incident was not a robbery,” stated the DCI.
“Members of the public are advised not to circulate unverified claims and to forward information that can assist the investigations to the nearest police station.”
The alleged victim has been identified as Kasarani Member of Parliament Ronald Karauri.
The development came after images and videos circulated widely on social media, sparking public concern over the safety of motorists using the Nairobi Expressway.
The footage appeared to show several people gathered around vehicles on the highway, with social media users alleging that motorists were being robbed in broad daylight.
The reports triggered widespread outrage, with some Kenyans questioning how such an incident could occur on a major highway equipped with security and surveillance infrastructure.
However, Moja Expressway Company, which operates the toll road, had earlier disputed the robbery claims, saying the vehicles seen in the footage belonged to a delegation of politicians that had briefly stopped to allow occupants to change vehicles.
Police also said searches across stations in Nairobi had failed to establish any corresponding robbery complaint.
The DCI has now taken over further inquiries to establish the circumstances surrounding the incident and the subsequent circulation of the video.
