Snatch, Grab and Run!

“uuuuuuuuuiiiiiii mwizi!”

“Shika Mwizi!”

“Simu yangu!”

The lady seated in front of us screamed in horror. She was sitting in the front row of the matatu, directly behind the driver, next to the window. We had stopped for a while at the Githurai roundabout on the Thika Super Highway, allowing people to alight and others to board.

Githurai is a known hotspot for phone thefts, and one must be extra vigilant in this area. She had been talking on the phone from the moment she boarded at Juja. Her window had been opened wide, a rookie mistake, in these streets.

There is only one unspoken rule when you board a matatu: use your phone only when the vehicle is in motion. It’s hard to grab a phone when the car is moving, and then you can open the windows as wide as you prefer. However, if the vehicle stops for whatever reason, such as police checks, traffic, or people alighting, be aware and adjust accordingly.

Nairobi has many unemployed youths. Consequently, many of them have turned to petty crime as a means of survival. The city is also a gold mine for them. Therefore, pickpocketing and phone grabs are not uncommon. Some of them are easy to spot because they stand out and look suspicious. At other times, with an ever-increasing population and hectic schedules, it’s hard to spot them.

So, as you walk around in town, you have to be extra careful with your property. You have to hold onto your bag like your life depends on it. Additionally, if you have a backpack, you must keep looking over your shoulder lest someone tries to open it as you walk.

However, within the comfort of a bus or matatu, passengers let their guard down. While seated and waiting for other commuters to board, and enjoying the loud music in the vehicle, many tend to forget that thieves are still lurking outside. As they wait, they take out their phones to make calls, catch up with favourite podcasters or scroll through Instagram to kill time.

It is at this moment that they are most vulnerable, and that’s when the thieves make their move. They snatch the phone from their hands and run. Some thieves are tactical; they quietly open the window and quickly grab the phone.

Others are daring and will try to snatch a whole bag from the window. It’s ridiculous! Also, it happens so fast that you don’t clearly see the thief. The sheer horror of the experience and realisation of what has happened sends one into a frantic mode.

“Mwizi!….. Shika mwizi!” the lady screamed as she dashed out of the vehicle.

“Msiniache!” she yelled, glancing back at us before sprinting after the thief. My sister and I looked at each other in disbelief. Was she really going to chase the thief, and what would she do if she caught him? I was amazed.

The irony, however, is that we didn’t do anything to help her. We just looked on in amazement. We didn’t even help her scream to raise awareness of the thief. It was 8 pm, and the streets of Githurai were buzzing. Buyers and sellers were everywhere, but nobody tried to stop the thief. As she chased after him, screaming the whole way, they could only get out of their way. This is precisely what ails our country and society: we are too complacent. As long as it doesn’t affect us, we don’t mind it!

We couldn’t leave her, so we waited to see if she would come back.

“It’s her fault!” one passenger exclaimed. “She was talking on that phone the whole time. She didn’t realise this place has thieves all over,” He continued.

“I see this all the time! Githurai si Kuzuri!” another chimed in.

“Driver twende! Let’s go!” another yelled agitatedly.

“We can’t leave her, let’s wait another minute.” The driver calmly responded.

My sister and I just sat there quietly, taking everything in. We were headed to Kasarani from Thika. It was getting late, and there were no vehicles at the stage, so we boarded the first one that showed up. Unfortunately, it kept stopping at every stage. It would take us a long time to get home, but at least we were on the move.

Unfortunately, this was not the first time I had witnessed a phone grab. The first time I saw it, I was disturbed. We had just finished a work assignment and were headed back to town. We were covering a political campaign in Dandora for the 2017 presidential election. Back then, I was new in town and a student attaché trying to soak in the confusing experience of a journalist.

Traffic was chaotic as people tried to make their way home from the grounds. Our vehicle was following behind a blue matatu. I was seated in the co-driver’s seat when I saw it. A young man walking closely behind the matatu then reached for something through the open window and quickly ran. He had grabbed a phone. It takes a certain level of skill to pull that off. It also requires an insane amount of courage. So yes, I was disturbed. I was both shocked and, in a way, enthralled.

Ten minutes had passed while waiting when the lady came back crying. She had not caught the thief. She had chased him for a while, but when he dashed into a dark alley, she gave up the pursuit. I think the adrenaline had worn off, and she realised the dangers that would ensue if she continued down that road. However, her boldness and courage really impressed me.

She really broke down, and I could imagine why. Our phones are everything. It’s our business, our school, our source of entertainment, and where we put our money. People hardly carry cash around anymore. Losing a phone feels like losing a part of yourself. When we alighted at Kasarani, we only hoped that she would be okay and that she had enough money on her to figure out her next move.

It has been a few years since that incident happened. Sadly, as the world evolves, thieves are also not left behind. They have not only perfected the snatch-and-grab move but have also become craftier. I was recently alerted to another move happening in some matatus and buses. So, you get into a bus and assume everyone on board is a commuter like you. You find an open seat by the window and decide that it is the best position for you.

As usual, you close the window and take out your phone to catch up with the socials. Then, some random guy comes and knocks on your window, seeking your attention. Startled at first, you put your phone down and listen to what he has to say. You soon realise he wishes you no harm and let your guard down. Then you try to dismiss him politely. He is probably a hawker selling something or someone seeking financial aid.

Oblivious, he is working with an insider on the bus. The second man lifts off your phone while you are distracted and makes his way out of the bus. As you dismiss the first guy, you even feel guilty for not engaging with him, but you want this interaction to end quickly. After all, this is still Nairobi, and people are still in business.

Once that is done, close the window and return to your phone. But alas, you can’t find it. You are still seated alone, so you can’t blame the next person. Furthermore, you didn’t even realise when it happened, so you can’t even describe the thief. What’s worse, you have no money on you because we are living in a paperless world. So, you end up stranded in town with no money and no phone. Yikes!! This is an occurrence many of us would like to avoid. ‘Nairobbery’ is as real as it gets. Therefore, stay vigilant, stay safe. ❤️