Phone snatchers causing havoc in Nairobi city

Heap of the different smartphones.

NAIROBI, KENYA; Phone thieves are on the prowl on city streets and they strike when their victims least expect it. This happens mainly in the evening when it gets darker and particularly when there is heavy traffic. The most affected are those using public transport.

About a month ago, Vincent Muturi almost lost his phone in the city. “I was in a matatu heading home and when we reached Accra Road, I took out my phone to browse. Just when I was getting engrossed in the phone, a hand suddenly got in through the window and the phone dropped on the vehicle’s floor. The snatcher scratched my hand and went away,” he says.