For John Kinyanjui, 24, August 20 will remain a dark day in his past.

This is after his shop was broken into and laptops and accessories worth sh. 700,000 stolen, leaving him in a state of pain and anguish, considering that the shop was only three weeks old and not insured.

DCI detectives inspect an electronics shop in Nakuru city that was broken into on August 20, 2024.

Photo credit: FILE

Fast forward to September 7, in Wanyonyoro B, James Kimani, 22, finds himself in a similar situation and in his case, electronics worth sh. 400,000 had been stolen.

He sadly narrated how the culprits managed to break down one side of a wall, made a hole and made away with the goods.

These are just some of the cases that have made their way to the news headlines in the city centre and its environs.

Amos Biwott a Cyber shop owner opposite Tower One admits that cases of shop break-ins have been on the rise.

“The electronic shops and the mobile money transfer shops are the ones that are commonly targeted. In my opinion, I think before someone comes to steal from your business premises it must be someone who knows how you operate and, in many cases, it is usually the employees themselves who collude with outsiders to steal,” he says.

He continues, “It is often said that you can never trust anyone especially when it comes to business, therefore keeping your circle small and even keeping your business ventures to yourself will go a long way in ensuring you avoid incidences of theft and burglary.”

Along the businesses behind Midlands Hotel, it is a whole other issue. As Leah Wanjiru a hotelier explains, whenever night falls, the place becomes very unsafe.

The ally behind Midlands hotel lacks street lights, making shops along the stretch subject to burglary at night.

Photo credit: BRET SANYA/MTAA WANGU

“We only depend on the street light that is at the Chicken Inn premises but it only lights a limited area. We have no proper lighting in this section and this increases the risk of insecurity for most of the businesses along this section. This may also be a factor that led to the break in of Joseph Kinyanjui’s shop a few meters from here,” she says.

She also highlights how there was an attempted burglary at her shop a while back.

“I had to reinforce and put up a stronger steel gauge for the door, I also put a heavier padlock. All we can plead for is for security lights along this path and regular patrols by police to deter those who may want to break into the shops,” she says.

George Scaril, the Director of Goodwill says that for him, when it comes to security, he does not live anything to chance.

“I have installed CCTV cameras in my business premises and also apart from that I have a private security company that I have contracted to make sure all my properties are safe. No expense is too much when it comes to ensuring your property is safe, especially with the rise in insecurity and cases of theft,” he says.

He also notes how he has set up alarms that alert him and his security company whenever someone tries to break into his business premises.

Ever since Nakuru became a city, there has been exponential growth that has attracted many investors and businesses into the city centre especially along Kenyatta Avenue.

High burglary cases keep Nakuru businesses on edge

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Bret Sanya