Alarm over crime surge in Kisumu County as Indian investor robbed

An Indian businessman seeking to invest in the oil sector in Kisumu County is the latest victim of crime that has rocked region.

Thieves stole Mr Ravi Sankar Yandapalli’s passport, cheque books, debit cards, laptop, three phones, driving licence, contract documents, a bag with all personal clothes and Sh100,000 from his Sovereign Hotel room.

He was scheduled to meet Governor Jack Ranguma yesterday over the investment deal.

Mr Yandapalli said he checked in at the hotel on Sunday evening and on waking up Monday at 7am, the first thing he noticed was his shirt on the floor with all other valuables missing.

“I slept around 12.30am because I had mails I was sending but when I woke up I did not find my laptop,” he said.

He went on: “I was deep asleep and did not hear them get into the room, but I thank God because had I woken up, they would have killed me.”

He said it was his first time in Kisumu.

SHIP ASSEMBLING MACHINES

Mr Yandapilli said he was planning to set up ship assembling machines worth Sh20 billion in Kisumu and Kampala for transporting fuel.

He was to tour the pipeline and access the proposed area where he plans to construct a jetty before heading to Kampala on Thursday.

“We had done the ground work and what was remaining was to sign the documents so that we start the work,” he said.

“Why don’t they just take the money and return the documents and my personal items like passport? I am grounded and cannot move,” he said.

Kisumu has for the past three weeks witnessed increased crime, with gangs maiming residents at night.

Over 40 people have been killed in the crime wave in the past one month.

The most affected areas are Mamboleo, Migosi, Car Wash, Nyalenda, Kanyakwar and Arya.

Mr Victor Nyagare, a consultant at Mahati Infra Services India Ltd, said he doubted whether the investor would continue with the project after the incident.

HOTEL INVESTIGATING THEFT

Sovereign Hotel manager Patrick Matere said they were investigating the theft.

“The hotel is covered by CCTV cameras, the person must have been aware that the client was in that room,” he said.

He said they were trying to find out how the thieves accessed the hotel because security in the adjacent home, which belongs to Cord leader Raila Odinga, is also tight.

“The suspects interfered with the CCTV camera before breaking into the room,” he said.

Nyanza Regional Police Commandant Willy Lugusa said they were investigating the matter.

Inspector-General Joseph Boinnet is expected in the lakeside city on Thursday and MPs Ken Obura (Kisumu Central) and his Kisumu East counterpart Shakeel Shabbir have asked him to reshuffle top police leadership in the region to tackle the rising insecurity.