Burglars find master keys to posh homes

By HUDSON GUMBIHI

Cases of break-ins are common in high-end suburbs, but police have not caught any burglars.

 Police say the raiders use master keys to gain entry into homes whose owners are away. Interestingly, security guards are normally present when the crimes occur.

Detectives are trying to establish whether there is conspiracy between the guards and thieves, who target cash and electronic goods.

Apartments in Kilimani, Hurligham and Kileleshwa have been targeted with the latest incident taking place on June 30 at Happy Courts on Riara Road, off Ole Dume Road.

The owner of the house, who requested to be identified only as Agnes, found her house broken into and some money in local and foreign currency stolen. The burglars also stole a Galaxy mobile phone and Play Station for her children.

Agnes, who is based in the US, had together with her sister and children paid an overnight visit to their mother in Ngong, only to return the following day and find her house on the second floor had been ransacked.

The woman was on holiday, temporarily renting the apartment. She suspects an inside job involving security guards.

“I am convinced the watchmen were either involved or there was complacency on their part,” she said.

Muthangari police chief Alphonse Ngundo said the incident is not isolated, but replicated all over in the city and other parts of the country.

“These cases are common everywhere even in Murang’a where I was. Criminals are using master keys to gain access in homes especially when the owners are not around,” Ngundo said.

He added that they are waiting for the outcome of the forensics after they took fingerprints of a security guard and caretaker of the apartment.      

After the incident, Agnes flew back to the US.