Beware! Theft of car parts still thrives on the streets of Nairobi
By Nyaboga Kiage
When Mr James Simba parked his car outside Bazaar building along Kimathi Street, he didn’t imagine that he would return to find the side mirror covers stolen from the Government registered vehicle.
Mr Simba told Nairobi News that he was so shocked by the theft that for a moment he just stood there trying to come to terms with the development.
“I then started inspecting the car to establish if there were any other parts which had been tampered with. Thankfully, everything else looked okay,” he said.
He then left for Nairobi Hospital to visit a sick relative but when he got there he realized that the wheel cap of his car’s tires were also missing.
Mr Simba did not even get to see the patient. Instead he took the car to the garage to have it fixed.
STOLEN CAR PARTS
Such incidents have become a familiar experience for many motorists in Nairobi’s CBD.
Two weeks ago, Mr Evans Kimani parked his car along Moi Avenue and when he returned he found the covers of both rear light missing.
“The city is slowly turning to a dangerous place where one needs to have someone to keep an eye on their cars,” he told Nairobi News.
Both motorists were left regretting why they ignored requests for a small fee from the self-made ‘attendants’ who prowl all parking lots within the city’s CBD.
“Some guy asked me to allow him to take care of my car at a fee but I ignore him. I wish I allowed him to keep an eye on it,” Mr Simba said.
Nairobi News has established that the self-made parking ‘attendants’ watch over vehicles at a fee of between Sh50 and Sh100.
PARKING FEES
They are also streetwise and have a close working relationship with city county askaris who collect parking fees.
It is said that some of these ‘attendants’ often prevail upon the askaris against clamping or towing away vehicles of ‘friendly’ motorists.
Some have even won over the trust of motorists to the extent of being entrusted with the keys cars to find a suitable parking space.
One such motorist is Ms Jennifer Ouma, who told Nairobi News that she usually leaves her car keys with the ‘attendants’ at a fee of Sh100 per day.
This charge, she reasons, is way cheaper than the daily fee of Sh200 charged by the Nairobi County Government.
“In a day I save a significant amount by simply letting them take care of my car,” she said.