Three arrested over Sh169,000 M-Pesa robbery in Yatta

Three suspects linked to a daring M-Pesa shop robbery in which an attendant was robbed of Sh169,000 in Katangi, Yatta Sub-County, have been arrested following a coordinated police operation.

The robbery occurred on May 15, 2026, and triggered investigations by the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) after the suspects fled with the money and an M-Pesa till phone.

According to the DCI, the arrests followed a tip-off from members of the public that helped officers trace the suspects.

Police officers from Katangi acted on the information and moved swiftly to intercept one of the suspects at Katangi Shopping Centre.

The suspect, identified as Ben Mutuku, was arrested as detectives intensified efforts to establish the whereabouts of other individuals linked to the robbery.

The police operation was subsequently extended to Yathui in Mwala Sub-County.

It was there that officers cornered and arrested two more suspects, identified as Simon Makau and Samuel Mbolu.

The two were arrested while travelling in a white Toyota Corolla registration number KDU 164G.

During the operation, police also recovered an M-Pesa till phone that had been stolen during the robbery.

The device was later positively identified by the M-Pesa attendant as the phone taken during the incident.

The vehicle used by the suspects was also impounded and is being held by police as part of the ongoing investigations.