Daniel Kiilu, CEO of Sikika Safety, informed Muranganews about three recent incidents reported at various police stations in Nairobi. The most recent case involved a driver of a black Toyota Harrier who, after fueling at a petrol station along Thika Road, drove off without paying for fuel worth Ksh13,000. Kiilu highlighted that with the current petrol prices in Nairobi, filling a tank to capacity seems financially burdensome for many Kenyans.
The CCTV footage captured the number plates of the vehicle, which were subsequently verified on the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) portal through the eCitizen platform, revealing that they belonged to a lorry. Kiilu pointed out that upon closer inspection, it was evident that the Toyota Harrier couldn’t possibly bear the number plates (KD..) as it is an older model.
This mismatch complicates the ongoing investigations, requiring police officers to resort to forensic methods to track down the suspect. Detectives are diligently reviewing the CCTV footage to identify the driver’s face, utilizing face recognition technology to establish the motorist’s identity.
Kiilu expressed concern over the emerging trend where motorists exploit vulnerabilities to evade payment, bypassing surveillance cameras at fuel stations. This misconduct gained notoriety throughout the previous year, with motorists devising various strategies to abscond without settling their bills, leaving attendants at the mercy of substantial outstanding payments, often exceeding Ksh8,000.
The prevalence of such incidents has prompted online outcry from Kenyans, urging petrol stations to implement stringent measures to combat this trend. Among the proposed solutions, the adoption of pre-paid services emerges as the most feasible and convenient method to deter fuel theft.
