By Cyrus Ombati

Central Bank of Kenya (CBK) has introduced measures aimed at addressing cases of theft of cash in transit (CIT).

The banking sector regulator will open up new cash centres at various towns as part of the measures to curb the menace.

This, according to insiders, will stop daily transportation of cash from banks in the towns to CBK headquarters in Nairobi, and hence minimise risk of theft.

The new centres will be opened up in Nakuru, Meru, Nyeri and Kisii by end of month.

On Tuesday, a team of top CBK officials visited Nakuru to inspect a premise where the centre will be opened.

view as risky

The team is also set to visit Nyeri and Meru today on similar missions.

This means all banks operating around the towns will be delivering their daily returns to the centre and not to Nairobi.

All banks, apart from those near CBK offices like Mombasa, Kisumu and Eldoret have been delivering their cash to Nairobi daily for audit, an issue authorities now view as risky.

"With cases of theft of CIT being on the rise it is prudent we take measures to minimise them," said a senior CBK official who sought anonymity.

The regulator has also demanded all security companies involved in CIT business know their personnel by profiling them.

"Before they are deployed, the companies would be required to thoroughly profile them as a way of knowing their background," added our source. The move comes in the wake of theft of Sh22 million on transit, from a city bank to the airport, by a security firm employee and escort police.

A CBK projection report showed such cases may increase, hence need to minimise movement of cash onlong distances.The report showed a gradual increase of theft of cash on transit detailing some cases that were never reported by the media in the past year alone.

Last Friday, a crew escorting cash vanished with Sh22 million destined for Juba, in Southern Sudan.

Stakeholders from police, private security industry and CBK were slated to hold brainstorming sessions on how to curb the problem.

Preliminary findings show some crew have knowledge of amount of money they escort contrary to rules.