Police have dismissed claims that motorists were being robbed along the Nairobi Expressway after a video showing several people surrounding a vehicle went viral on social media.

The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) said detectives from the Kilimani office investigated the incident and summoned the people who appeared in the video.

The individuals recorded statements as detectives worked to establish what had actually happened.

Preliminary findings showed that the incident was not a robbery as widely claimed online.

The person who appeared to be the victim in the video was identified as Kasarani Member of Parliament Ronald Karauri.

Karauri later explained that he was inside the white vehicle seen in the footage.

According to the MP, he had stopped on the expressway after experiencing a problem with one of the vehicle’s doors.

He said the door could not close properly, leaving him in distress as he travelled from a meeting.

Karauri explained that some people stopped to assist him after noticing that his vehicle had a problem.

The people surrounding the car were therefore not attackers, but members of the public who were helping him fix the door.

The MP urged the public to remain calm and avoid believing every security claim shared on social media.

The DCI said investigations were still ongoing to establish the full circumstances surrounding the incident and how the video came to be circulated with claims that a robbery had taken place.

Authorities also urged members of the public to verify information before sharing it, especially when it involves security incidents that could cause unnecessary fear.

The incident has once again highlighted how quickly unverified claims can spread online, with a video being interpreted as evidence of a robbery before authorities established what had happened.

Police encouraged anyone with useful information about the incident to report it through the appropriate channels as investigations continue.