These are the Mchele babes of Kisii

Two weeks ago, detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) arrested two ladies believed to have overdosed a man with a stupefying substance leading to his death in Kisii County.

 The two, Purity Kajuju, 30, and Caroline Kagwira, 26, appeared before Senior Principal Magistrate Christine Ogweno over the death of Francis Kariuki.

They were nabbed by DCI sleuths at their hideout in Nairobi’s Kasarani area, after days of engaging the crime busters in a cat-and-mouse chase. They were later driven to Kisii Law Courts where they were charged.

The deceased had met the suspects at a popular entertainment spot in Kisii town on July 23, where one of the country's leading Mugithi maestros was performing. At dawn, they left for the deceased’s house at the posh Nyanchwa estate.

That was the last time Kariuki was seen alive. Among the items recovered from the suspects included electronic gadgets belonging to the deceased - a laptop, mobile phone, and a flash disk. 

Loss of property

Reports indicated that several men lost their property on the said day and reported the same to both Nyanchwa and Kisii Central Police stations.

They were, however, not willing to make a follow-up on the reported cases. “Some men didn’t report home and were seen hovering around the two police stations early in the morning. They were not willing to make formal complaints at the stations for fear of being embarrassed that they had lost everything to the ‘Mchele Babes’,” a police officer said.

The officer said there were more than 15 women who had either stolen cash or phones from revelers who attended the event. 

One of the revelers, a manager with a transport firm in the area, said he lost close to Sh300,000.

Part of the money was the day’s collection from the business.

The manager had checked into a hotel room with a woman he met during the night out. He says he woke up in the morning having lost his ATM card, phone, and car keys.

 Police are also investigating two middle-aged women believed to have stolen more than Sh5 million from unsuspecting revelers.

 The two are said to be running a syndicate of more than 50 young ladies who operate between Kisii, Nyamira, and Migori towns targeting high-end clubs and restaurants with the aim of spiking drinks of their prey.

Last month, a middle-aged man who traveled to Kisii town lost Sh500,000 to a lady she had spent time with at one of the hotels in the town. The lady, who stays in an apartment within Kisii Central Business District, operates a wine and spirits shop in the Jogoo estate. She is said to have emptied the man’s two bank accounts in the night and early morning before switching off her two phones.

 She was later arrested from her wines and spirits shop before being released on a police bond after the complainant declined to move to court. The curvaceous lady lost her job as a sales representative at a beverage firm that closed shop a few years ago.

Detectives are also linking some men to the syndicate. A senior detective privy to the investigations told The Nairobian that some men, who drive the latest Mercedes Benz modes, are behind increasing cases of spiking of drinks.

 How they work

“They pick on some beautiful ladies, take them to clubs, and buy them expensive drinks before intentionally handing them to their targets. Apparently, the ladies pretend to be taking the drinks; it is the men who do the drinks.”

 The sleuth explained that the ladies look classy, always pretending to be working as marketers of various products. “We have several young men who lost property and even cash to these ladies.”

 Charles Mochoge, a bar manager urged the clients to be careful.