Three suspects believed to be the ringleaders behind a spate of violent highway robberies along the Nairobi-Mombasa highway have been arrested in a decisive crackdown led by detectives in Voi.
The suspects — David Karanja, Juma Jumamosi, and Josephine Nthamba Mutie — were arrested in connection with a daring truck hijacking incident that occurred on April 9, 2025, near the Ikanga area, sending shockwaves across the long-haul transport community.
On the day of the incident, an Isuzu FRR truck (registration number KDC 020G), transporting gypsum from Nairobi to Mombasa, was ambushed after the driver swerved to avoid hitting a man who suddenly appeared from the roadside bushes. As the vehicle stalled, five armed individuals stormed the truck, handcuffed the driver and his co-driver, and took control of the vehicle. The victims were later dumped by the roadside, while the robbers made away with the truck.
Following the robbery, detectives launched a comprehensive investigation involving forensic tracking and surveillance. The first breakthrough came with the arrest of David Karanja and Juma Jumamosi in Taveta, where they were found hiding. A follow-up search at Jumamosi’s rental home in Bahati, Taveta sub-county, led to the recovery of a number plate belonging to the stolen truck, a T-shaped screwdriver, and two spanners — tools suspected to have been used in the hijacking.
The two were presented before the Chief Magistrate’s Court in Voi on May 19, where detectives secured a 14-day custodial order to advance their probe and track down additional accomplices.
The dragnet widened further with the arrest of Josephine Nthamba Mutie on June 2 in Makindu. She was similarly arraigned before the Voi Chief Magistrate’s Court, and detectives were granted another 14-day custodial period to complete investigations and coordinate recovery of the stolen truck, which remains missing.
According to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), the trio is part of a larger syndicate that targets cargo transporters along the key Nairobi-Mombasa highway — a critical trade artery that has seen increasing criminal activity in recent months.
Authorities have vowed to intensify operations against highway robbers and safeguard transport corridors across the country. The DCI is urging transporters and the public to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activity to law enforcement agencies.
The case continues to unfold, with detectives optimistic that more arrests and the recovery of the stolen goods will soon follow.
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