Workers beat old security system to steal bank’s billions

The Central Bank of Kenya has been hit by a string of thefts in the last 12 months where staff carted away cash in scenes resembling those in the movies.

A top CBK manager who did not want to be named because he is not authorised to speak to the Press, said the workers were taking advantage of the outdated security arrangements and the only way to curb the thefts was the installation of a new integrated security management system.

According to the manager, workers were getting bolder after discovering how to beat the old security system.

In October last year, a CBK worker, Mr James Gichuki Wambugu, was charged with stealing treasury bonds valued at Sh65.6 million. He denied the offence and was released on bond.

The top manager pointed out a case where staff stole close to Sh60 million defaced bank notes earmarked for destruction.

Spent the money

He said the workers were caught before they had spent the money.

In October last year, another bank worker walked into the strongroom and walked away with Sh200 million treasury bonds.

The man was charged and the case is pending in court.

However, the most brazen theft was in Kisumu last year when workers tried to steal Sh2.5 billion.

According to the manager, the new notes were collected from De La Rue’s currency printing plant in Nairobi’s Ruaraka but were not recorded at the CBK headquarters.

The notes were transported to Kisumu the following day but security officers discovered the anomaly when the cash was about to be spirited out of the premises.

“It was one of the most daring attempts by staff members. However, no one was arrested as we could not identify the perpetrators. We recovered the funds after General Service Unit officers surrounded the office,” said the manager.

Detects firearms

The new security system comprises CCTV cameras, vehicle number plate recognition equipment that detects firearms or gunpowder in cars or humans without officers frisking visitors and checking cars.

The system has access control points which sense firearms or metals ere when people walk through the doors. The doors will be fitted with biometric and face recognition systems which was to be synchronised with passwords allocated to staff members.

For those who access CBK strongrooms, apart from the face recognition, biometric and pass codes, there will be a special key to the rooms.

The security system will be installed in Nairobi, Mombasa, Nyeri, Eldoret, Meru, Nakuru and Kisumu.