Armed gangsters drove a woman to a bank and ordered her to empty her account while they held her daughter hostage.
She was given 15 minutes to do so and warned her daughter would be killed if she raised the alarm because somebody would be watching her.
She withdrew Sh800,000 from the Kenya Commercial Bank in Karen, Nairobi, then called her daughter’s cell phone number as per the gang’s instruction.
One of the gangsters answered the call, and directed her to walk away from the bank and stand by the roadside, where they picked her up.
Moments later, the gang alighted at the city centre and casually melted into the crowd on Tom Mboya Street.
The victim requested her identity not to be disclosed fearing threats from the gangsters who warned her not to report the matter.
The ordeal on Saturday started at 6.25am as she drove on PanAfrican Insurance Avenue in Runda estate. She was confronted by two men pointing pistols when she slowed down at a corner.
One of them forced the door open and shoving her to the back seat, took control of the vehicle.
The other sat with her at the back while pointing the gun at her 18-year-old daughter who was on the passenger’s seat.
The gang drove to Mwiki where they picked up their leader, an elderly man.
“The elder one brought sanity to the car. He was ordering the others who had looked restless. They could shoot at the slightest provocation,” she said.
The gangsters were young men aged around 25 years.
The next stop was at an ATM at Kipande House in the city centre where her captors withdrew Sh50,000, the maximum allowed within 24 hours.
They then drove around the city for several hours during which they discussed holding them for two weeks, while they visited the ATM everyday until they drain the account.
After nearly four hours, they hatched the plan to drive to the bank at Karen.
Once she alighted from the car at the bank’s parking yard, the gang drove off with her daughter whom they held hostage as security.
The gang drove towards Ngong Town and she called them back after withdrawing the money.
In the bank, she was served by a cashier and the manager but she did not attempt to raise the alarm.
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