Two arrested in botched 6,000 litre diesel theft in Kajiado

Police have arrested two suspects for attempting to steal over Sh1.2 million worth of diesel in Kajiado.

Police said the suspects arrived at a petrol station at 4pm in Kajiado's Oloililai Subcounty within Bisil township.

The two suspects who were posing as ordinary customers sought to draw 6,000 litres of diesel.

Police said the suspects were pretending to be in constant communication with the owner of the petrol station.

“The two alleged to have already paid Sh1.2 million directly to the bank account of the 'boss', given the amount involved,” DCI said in a statement.

Police said the attendant did not dispute the proof of payment and went ahead to initiate the process, but excused himself briefly after pumping about 100 litres.

The attendant then made a call to his boss, who confirmed his fears.

“Neither such payment had been made nor was there any such arrangement,” police said.

Maintaining his calm, the attendant beckoned his colleagues with a signature alert, who pounced on the two and alerted the police.

Police officers arrived to find the two suspects restrained and had been encouraged to identify themselves.

The 32 and his 54-year-old accomplice were re-arested and their vehicle detained.

Police said further grilling revealed that the two had traveled from Nairobi, and belonged to a bigger syndicate that is now targeting petrol stations in smaller towns.

Meanwhile, detectives in Kajiado Central in collaboration with detectives from the Crime Research and Intelligence Bureau based at DCI headquarters, have arrested three suspects linked to the theft of a Scania lorry.

The lorry, loaded with maize worth Sh1.7 million, was en route to Nairobi’s Industrial Area from Tanzania.

A police report filed on March 19, 2025, shows that the theft occurred when the lorry’s driver parked at Maduka ya Juu in Kajiado.

Police said he was accomapnied by a woman known to him, who had joined the journey at the Namanga border.

"While the driver briefly stepped away to use a nearby restroom, he returned to find the woman holding two soft drinks. After consuming one, he began feeling drowsy and fell asleep inside the vehicle. When he regained consciousness the following day, he found himself lying on the ground, with both the lorry and the woman missing," the DCI said.

Forensic investigations culminated in the recovery of the lorry but it had already been stripped of its cargo and abandoned in Embakasi.

Three suspects - two women and a man - are in police custody alongside the lorry driver who is assisting investigators in their ongoing efforts to uncover the full scope of the crime.