City Hoppa: Robbers don’t hop into our buses

By HUDSON GUMBIHI

City Hoppa Bus Company has denied claims that crew members are colluding with robbers.

The company has instead blamed rivals for the alleged bad publicity it has received from Inspector General of Police David Kimaiyo who has even threatened to deregister the firm.

“Unless the IG has been paid by our competitors, we are not certain that it is only our fleet that is targeted, but it is unfortunate that he wants to blame City Hoppa,” said Githaiga Weru, the firm’s operation manager.

He told police to take to court employees engaging in criminal activities.

There have been complaints that some drivers and conductors collude with carjackers by allowing them to board their buses.

On the night of July 18, carjackers took control of a City Hoppa bus, robbing passengers who were later abandoned in Kiambu. The incident prompted Kimaiyo to issue the deregistration warning.

“Citi Hoppa will be withdrawn from the roads because they carry at least two criminals in the morning and evening, thus commuters are hijacked and robbed,” said the police boss.

During the week, the company faced mockery on Twitter as some Nairobians called for a boycott of the buses.

The company has a fleet of about 200 buses plying several routes including Kawangware, Satellite, Ngumo, Kenyatta National Hospital, Karen/Ngong, Karen/Lang’ata, Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, Umoja and Buru Buru.

However Jogoo and Ngong roads have been prone to carjackings targeting the City Hoppa.

Nicholas Kipkorir Bett, a conductor is still nursing stab wounds inflicted by robbers in March. The bus was heading to Kawangware when some commuters turned out to be carjackers.

“All companies complained about carjackings, why then point an accusing finger at City Hoppa? Police should use the necessary machinery to bring down this crime to zero level, shifting blame will not solve the insecurity situation,” stated Weru.

He claimed that out of the 44 robbery incidents in the last three weeks along Jogoo Road, only three involved their buses.

The reports were made at Buru Buru, Makongeni and Shauri Moyo police stations.