Presenters at Mwinjoyo FM, a gospel radio station based in Nakuru, were on Thursday night rudely interrupted by armed thugs who brought the show to a halt.
Armed with guns and machetes, they made away with phones, cash and other valuables, including bags belonging to presenters and guests.
A video shows that the attackers, who stormed the station with their faces covered by scarves, were armed with guns and machetes.
One of the thugs can be heard saying: “Zima hiyo kitu. Zima haraka. (Turn that thing off. Turn it off quickly)”, ordering the presenters to either go off air or stop the live recording they were doing during the show.
They also ordered the presenters in the studio to get on the floor.
The presenters comply and all lie on the floor. Not satisfied, a man with a gun attacks one of the people in the studio.
“Nini unafanya wewe? (What are you up to?) the robber threatens before kicking the person on the floor.
Robert Kiarie, one of the guests who in the studios of Mwinjoyo FM in Nakuru County, on the night of May 11, 2023, when an armed gang staged an attack.
Threat to kill
Mr Mwangi wa Mbugua, who was running the show, said the thugs entered the compound by cutting through an electric fence.
Mr Mbugua suspects the robbers gained entry into the compound a few minutes before they stormed the station.
The presenter told the Nation that the armed thugs found him in his office next to the studio and ordered him to help them gain access to the studio, before directing him to also lie down.
He said they ransacked the studio and other adjacent offices for about 30 minutes, before they fled. They later moved to the waiting rooms and searched their jackets and bags for valuables.
“The armed men made their way into the studio and threatened to kill whoever blocked them from robbing. When they realised the show was live on Facebook and that there were CCTV cameras in the station they were very much disturbed and asked to be shown the CCTV data centre ,” he said.
Mr Dancun Njuguna, Mwinjoyo FM manager, said the thugs vandalised CCTV cameras to avoid detection after conducting the daring robbery.
“After they robbed us, they forced me to show them where the CCTV room was, where they vandalised the data box. They also destroyed the CCTV cameras in the studio and outside the station,”Mr Njuguna told the Nation.
He said that after stealing valuables from those present, the thugs fled in a waiting vehicle.
“We reported the matter at Kiugoine Police Station and Nakuru Central Police Station on Friday. We have since recorded statements and submitted the CCTV equipment to the police.”
Robert Kiarie (left), one of the guests who in the studios of Mwinjoyo FM in Nakuru County, on the night of May 11, 2023, when an armed gang staged an attack.
30 minutes of terror
One of the presenters, John (not his real name), who spoke to Mtaa Wangu on condition of anonymity, said the traumatic ordeal lasted about 30 minutes.
“There were eight of us in the studio for Thursday’s Kigosho show, which runs from 8pm to 12am. As we were finishing the show, four intruders came into the studio and took over, ordering us to lie on the floor,” he says.
He notes that six of the eight were the Kigosho crew and two were individuals who lived in the building that houses the studio.
According to John, the assaulted colleague was trying to reach for his phone to call for help when the thugs saw him and started kicking him.
When the thugs realised there was CCTV in the studio, they asked where it was. They can be heard asking “CCTV ziko wapi” (where are the CCTV cameras) and a gentleman in the studio replies that he does not know exactly where they are.
Throughout the video, one of the robbers is stationed at the door, keeping an eye out for people coming in.
The video ends after one of the robbers notices that the presenters are streaming live on Facebook. “Zima hiyo kitu. Si naona hapo mko Facebook live” (Turn that thing off. I can see you are live on Facebook), said a robber armed with a panga.
“After the live stream was cut off, the robber demanded money from everyone present and took our phones,” John recalls.
He says the robbers made off with valuables including phones, an unknown amount of money they had collected from people in the studio and bags belonging to guests.
He confirms that no studio equipment was stolen, although the CCTV camera was destroyed by the robbers.
“Seeing these men in the studio put us in a state of terror. We have since reported the attack to the Kiamaina police station and the matter is now with the police,” adds John.
Esther Wanjiru, one of the guests who in the studios of Mwinjoyo FM in Nakuru County, on the night of May 11, 2023, when an armed gang staged an attack.
Guest accounts
Mr Robert Kiarie and Ms Esther Wanjiru, who were guests at the station, said they were invited for a Mugithi night show running from 8pm to midnight.
Mr Kiarie, who is seen in a video that has since gone viral, said he was asked to conclude the show as it was almost midnight, so he proceeded to wish his listeners well.
However, before he could end the show, the door behind him swung open and one of the gangsters stormed in, his face covered and armed with a gun.
Mr Kiarie said he first thought the man was a police officer.
“When l saw him I stopped talking because l felt something was wrong,” he said, adding that he realised what was happening when three other men entered the studio and ordered everyone to lie down. They also directed the presenter of the show to switch everything off.
Mr Kiarie said he did not lie down immediately, which prompted one of the thugs to kick him in the waist, causing him to fall.
“The three thugs started harassing us. That was when it dawned on us that we under attack. I was scared, shocked and shaken and I thought I would die because the men kept threatening to kill us, like the Al-Shabaab,” he said.
Ms Wanjiru said she was shocked when the four entered inside the studio, as she never thought such a crime could take place at a religious radio station, during a live show, and with a Facebook stream ongoing.
“I have never experienced anything like that. The robbers were rough, full of threats and they looked dangerous. They ordered me to lie down or lose my head. I was prepared to die and even asked my God to forgive my sins,” she said.
Investigations on
Nakuru East sub-county criminal investigations boss George Momanyi told the Nation that the attack was also reported at the Nakuru Central Police Station.
“We have launched investigations into the incident. Detectives are following crucial leads to arrest the gangsters,” he said. “The owners of the radio station have recorded statements. We are relying on them and other evidence to track down the criminals.” BY DAILY NATION