A new wave of robberies is hitting Nairobi’s upscale estates, with gangs now using luxury vehicles such as Toyota Prados and Nissan X-Trails to blend into high-end neighbourhoods and stage well-coordinated heists.
The shift marks a dangerous evolution in urban crime, moving away from small cars and motorcycles once favoured by robbers, to high-end SUVs that raise no suspicion in gated communities.
Citizen Digital investigations, supported by CCTV footage, reveal chilling tactics.
At Sunpark Estate in Syokimau, four suspects—two men and two women dressed in buibui—arrived in a Toyota Prado, registration KDS 720F. They told guards they were going to the swimming pool but skipped security registration. Minutes later, they broke into an apartment and escaped with valuables and cash.
In Embakasi, CCTV shows a businessman being trailed from a bank by suspects in a Nissan X-Trail. The gang followed him to his office, smashed his car window, and tried to steal his money. Luckily, he had already secured it.
NTSA documents later revealed the X-Trail was registered under a private company in Nairobi, raising suspicion of a larger criminal network.
Between September 26 and 29, the same Toyota Prado was sighted in at least four estates—General Mathenge, Roopra Parklands, Shanzu Road, and Syokimau—pointing to a coordinated syndicate that scouts homes, poses as house hunters, and strikes when residents are away.
Residents of affected neighbourhoods say the gangs are well-organized, moving in and out of estates like genuine visitors.
“The fact that they use expensive vehicles makes it hard to suspect them. They look like they belong here,” said one resident of General Mathenge.
Police have launched investigations but are yet to confirm arrests. Authorities are urging estates to tighten security protocols, including:
Registering all visitors and vehicles
Verifying identities of house hunters
Sharing CCTV footage across estates
The use of high-end SUVs, surveillance tactics, and disguises shows the gangs are evolving and exploiting weaknesses in estate security.
Security experts warn that unless police dismantle the network quickly, Nairobi could face a surge in similar robberies targeting middle- and upper-class families.
“This is not just ordinary thuggery. It is organised crime hiding in plain sight,” said a private security consultant.
