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 Kelewa village, Mogotio in Baringo, pleaded not guilty to the two charges before the Eldama Ravine senior magistrate Alice Towett.
He was charged with stealing a motor vehicle and handling of stolen property.
Machuka, jointly with others not before court, was accused of stealing a probox, registration No KBW 257Y, which is valued at Sh650,000, belonging to Peter Kipkwe Kibinott.
The incident happened on March 24 at Kelelwa village within Mogotio subcounty, Baringo county.
The magistrate released the accused on a Sh1 million bond with a similar surety pending hearing on July 17. The case will however be mentioned on April 12.
The accused was arrested on Sunday, March 26, 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 the police following a sting of theft involving Toyota Probox, 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 in 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: robbery with violence and resisting a lawful arrest from a police officer.
Kiprotich, while armed with a chain cutter and a stone, is accused of stealing a KRA seal serial No 60D5204590 valued at Sh300,000 from a white Mercedes Benz Actros trailer after the vehicle had an accident and wounded one Juma Salim Saudi on his right cheek.
The incident happened at Kwa Harun along Eldoret-Nakuru highway, Koibatek subcounty, Baringo county.
The accused pleaded not guilty before SM Towett and his case will be mentioned on April 12.
(edited by Amol Awuor)