Many people in Nairobi are now worried about their safety after a violent robbery linked to the same pattern seen near Equity Bank branches. The latest case happened when a man working for the Embassava Matatu Sacco was attacked shortly after withdrawing cash for office use.
He had just left the bank area and was walking near Kenneth Matiba Road when five men confronted him, took the money, and stole his phone.
The robbery was quick, and it showed how vulnerable people are immediately after handling cash.
Plainclothes police officers were patrolling nearby and saw the robbery as it was happening.
They followed the suspects along Moi Avenue, leading to a chase that attracted many onlookers.
During the pursuit, the officers shot two of the suspects, killing them on the spot. The other three ran off, but one was hit by a bullet and was injured as he escaped.
Police used teargas to disperse the crowd that had gathered, then moved the bodies to the mortuary.
The search for the remaining suspects is ongoing, and detectives say they already have useful leads.
Police believe this was not an isolated crime. They say the same gang has been involved in similar robberies in the same area. On November 13, another man was followed and robbed just after leaving Equity Bank, in a case that closely resembles this latest incident.
According to investigators, the robbers often wait outside busy bank locations, watch customers who withdraw large sums, and then trail them as they walk away. Detectives now suspect that some criminals may be receiving information from people inside the banks or from workers who deal with cash, making it easy to identify who is carrying money.
Equity Bank has been linked to several cases where customers were targeted soon after withdrawing funds. Security concerns have grown because the bank has also faced many internal scandals.
In 2023, armed men attempted to rob the Equity Bank Nairobi West branch in broad daylight, a bold attempt that raised questions about how criminals identify their targets.
The bank has also struggled with major fraud issues that point to weak internal controls and questionable conduct by some employees.
In 2024, Equity Bank lost 1.5 billion shillings in a major insider-driven heist. Investigations revealed that a former employee and his father were part of a scheme involving fake accounts and internal manipulation.
Fresh details have revealed that the two suspected robbers shot dead along Moi Avenue were part of a gang of five who had attacked a man after he withdrew cash from a bank.
The victim, an official with Embassava Matatu Sacco, had withdrawn the money for office use and was… https://t.co/fIC3mwbO8Hpic.twitter.com/4odJo9cNta
— Nyakundi Report (@NyakundiReport) December 9, 2025
The Banking Fraud Unit uncovered attempts to hide what had happened, suggesting that multiple insiders may have played a role in covering up the crime.
The Central Bank later revealed that hackers and insider cooperation were becoming a major threat to digital banking, with Equity among the most affected institutions. In response, the bank fired more than 1,200 workers in a clean-up exercise, a figure that shocked many Kenyans and raised deeper questions about internal rot.
These issues have real consequences for customers. Reports continue to show that some bank employees pass information to criminals, exposing people to danger as soon as they handle money.
The Embassava Sacco official and the November 13 victim are examples of how this pattern keeps repeating. Innocent customers end up being followed, attacked, and in some cases, killed or injured simply because confidential information leaks out.
The deadly chase on Moi Avenue shows how serious the situation has become. While officers acted to stop the robbers, the deeper problem lies in banks like Equity failing to secure customer data and control insider activity. People should not have to fear for their lives after leaving a banking hall.
Until Equity Bank deals with the internal weaknesses that keep putting customers at risk, Nairobi residents will continue to wonder whether withdrawing money could expose them to violent attacks. The pattern has gone on for too long, and it is ordinary Kenyans who are paying the price.
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