A 54-year-old man believed to be the mastermind of car theft syndicate in Baringo and Nakuru counties has been charged at the Eldama Ravine Magistrate court.
Peter Machuka Nyang’au who was arrested in Ahero with a vehicle stolen in Kelelwa village, Mogotio in Baringo pleaded not guilty to the two charges before the Eldama Ravine Senior Magistrate Alice Towett.
According to the charge sheet, Machuka was charged with stealing a motor vehicle contrary to section 278 A of Penal Code.
He also faced another charge of handling stolen property contrary to section 322(1) (2) of the Penal Code.
The particulars of the case are that on March 24, 2023 at Kelelwa village within Mogotio sub-county, Baringo County Machuka, jointly with others not before court, stole one motor vehicle Registration No. KBW 257Y make Probox silver in color valued at Sh650, 000 property of Peter Kipkwe Kibinott.
The Magistrate released the accused on a Sh1 million bond with a similar surety pending hearing on July 17, 2023. The case will however be mentioned on of April 12.
The accused was arrested on Sunday March 26, 2023 while driving to Ahero after a motorist who was aware of the theft spotted the vehicle and alerted the owner.
The owner informed the police who immediately tracked the vehicle and upon flagging down, the accused defied the orders to stop forcing the police to shoot at the vehicle which lost controlled and rolled into a ditch.
The arrest came in the wake of demonstrations by residents of Mogotio on Tuesday to demand action from Police following a sting of theft involving Toyota Proboxes which are always stolen from homesteads at night.
Three vehicles have so far been stolen in Rongai and Mogotio while three others were reportedly stolen in Kabarnet with one recovered abandoned at Soy area of Uasin Gishu County.
Meanwhile, in the same court, a robbery with violence suspect was ordered to be remanded at Eldama Ravine Police Station pending supply of a witness statement after he denied robbing a motorist.
Robert Kiprotich was charged with two counts namely, robbery with violence contrary to section 295 as read with 296 (2) of the Penal Code and resisting a lawful arrest from a police officer contrary to section 103(A) of the National Police Service Act 2011.
The charge sheet states that on the March 28, 2023 around 06.50 hours at Kwa Harun along Eldoret-Nakuru highway, Koibatek sub-county, Baringo county, Kiprotich, while armed with dangerous weapons namely a chain cutter and a stone, stole a KRA seal serial No. 60D5204590 valued at Sh300,000 from a motor vehicle registration No. KBD 730T/ZD 9908 make Mercedes Benz Actros trailer white in color after the vehicle had an accident and wounded one Juma Salim Saudi on his right cheek.
The accused pleaded not guilty before SM Towett and his case will be mentioned on April 12, 2023.
By Christopher Kiprop and Amina Noor
