NAIROBI, Kenya — A househelp was arrested on Wednesday in Kawangware after allegedly stealing a safe containing a loaded Glock 19 pistol, cash, and assorted valuables from her employer’s home in Nairobi’s Kileleshwa estate.
Police have identified the suspect as Marydina Anupi John, 43, who is accused of breaking into her employer’s bedroom on November 3 and making away with a portable safe holding cash amounting to Sh348,000, alongside USD 1,950, 600 Euros, Sh5,000, and jewellery.
The safe also contained a licensed Glock 19 pistol, two magazines loaded with 44 rounds of ammunition, land title documents, and electronics.
According to investigators, the employer had briefly stepped out of the residence on Nyando Close when the suspect—who had worked in the home for more than two years—vanished. She switched off her phone and allegedly escaped with the safe concealed inside a carton.
Security camera footage reportedly showed her walking out of the compound carrying the carton. Guards on duty later told police they assumed she had been sent on an errand.
Detective Simon Ihaji from Kilimani Police Station told the Kibera Magistrate’s Court that none of the stolen items were recovered during the arrest. “The amount was 1,950 USD, Sh5,000, 600 Euros, and other valuables, among them the gun with the serial number attached,” Ihaji said.
Police believe the firearm may have been handed over to accomplices and have asked the court for more time to track the missing pistol, saying it is now “in the wrong hands” and poses a potential public safety risk.
Principal Magistrate Margret Murage granted the application and ordered that the suspect be detained at Kilimani Police Station until November 24, directing investigators to produce a charge sheet on that date.
The case has raised concerns over the rising incidents of domestic-staff-related theft in Nairobi’s high-end estates, particularly where firearms are involved. Police have launched a wider operation to trace possible accomplices and recover the missing weapon and cash.
The investigation continues.
