Kenyan woman shares painful trauma of car theft amid spike in cases

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An X user has laid bare the painful trauma of losing a car, as motor vehicle theft cases in the country continue to spike.

The user, identified as @JCarhire, recounted the harrowing experience that left her shaken.

“The pain of losing a car... a story I never thought I’d tell. Let me tell you a story, not as a car hire company, not as a business owner, but as a human being who experienced that moment where reality suddenly stops making sense,” she wrote.

In her lengthy post, she described the emotional toll of repeatedly recounting the events surrounding the theft.

“You keep narrating the same story: Where was it parked? What time last seen? Who had access? Was it locked? Again. And again. And again. By evening the story stops sounding real even to you,” she added.

The Pain of Losing a Car... A Story I Never Thought I’d Tell ?.
Let me tell you a story…not as a car hire company, not as a business owner,
but as a human being who experienced that moment where reality suddenly stops making sense.
It was a normal night.
The car was parked… https://t.co/ngiPNwXrL2

— Joy Car hire (@JCarhire) February 23, 2026

Her story comes amid a sharp spike in motor vehicle thefts in Thika and along the busy Thika Road corridor, with cars stolen from churches, entertainment joints and hotels, some incidents captured on CCTV.

Police statistics show the area has recorded 29 stolen vehicles in recent weeks, marking a 58 percent year-on-year increase.

In January 2026 alone, 39 vehicles were reported stolen, according to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations, highlighting what detectives describe as an emerging organised crime pattern.

One of the latest cases involves a motor vehicle (KBR 115E) stolen outside a church in Thika. The prime suspect had previously been arrested over car theft and was out on bail at the time.

The owner’s son, who had gifted the car to his mother, said the family waited several weeks for updates from police with little progress. Frustrated, he launched his own search. He reportedly spotted a car belonging to the suspects parked along Kenyatta Road and alerted authorities.

His investigations allegedly revealed the prime suspect’s identity as a repeat offender with a pending car-related case before the Makadara Law Courts.

The DCI says recovery operations and arrests are ongoing, as police intensify crackdowns on suspected car theft syndicates operating in Thika and its environs.