NAIROBI, Kenya – Kenyan actor and filmmaker Nick Mutuma has offered a Sh100,000 cash reward for credible information leading to the recovery of professional filming equipment worth millions of shillings stolen in Nairobi.
The theft occurred on Sunday morning outside Unga House in Westlands, where a vehicle carrying the production equipment was parked while director Brian Obra worked on an active project.
The stolen equipment included a Sony FX3 camera, several professional lenses, monitors, lighting equipment, audio gear, stabilisation equipment and power accessories.
However, the financial value of the equipment is not the only concern for Mutuma.
The thieves also took external hard drives containing more than 20 terabytes of data, including two years’ worth of personal projects and active client work.
Following the theft, Mutuma turned to the public for assistance and offered Sh100,000 to anyone who provides information that leads to the recovery of his equipment.
The filmmaker has particularly appealed to people working in Nairobi’s informal electronics and second-hand equipment markets to remain alert for anyone attempting to sell the stolen items.
Mutuma has also made a special appeal concerning the stolen hard drives. He said anyone who finds the drives can return them anonymously, with no questions asked.
Mutuma’s team has shared details of the missing equipment to help members of the public identify the items.
The stolen gear includes a Sony FX3 camera body and three lenses: a Sony 16-35mm, Tamron 35-150mm and Sony 50mm. The thieves also took a DJI RS3 Pro gimbal and a Sirui SH25 tripod, which the production team uses to stabilise camera footage.
The missing monitoring equipment includes an Atomos NEON 17-inch 4K Cinema Monitor and a FEELWORLD FW279 seven-inch monitor. The lighting equipment includes a Godox FV150 Flash LED Light and a Nanlite PavoTube 30C LED tube light.
The stolen audio equipment includes a Sennheiser EW 100 ENG G4 wireless microphone set, Hollyland Lark Max sound kit and RODE VideoMic GO. The thieves also took power accessories, including SmallRig V-Mount battery plates, camera batteries and ZGCine V-Mount batteries.
Director Brian Obra was using Mutuma’s equipment when the theft occurred. The equipment was reportedly being used for an active production, meaning the incident disrupted ongoing creative work.
Obra described the theft as a significant setback because filmmaking depends heavily on expensive specialised equipment.
The theft has been reported to the police, who have started investigating the incident. Authorities are reportedly reviewing CCTV footage from the surrounding area in an effort to establish how the thieves carried out the operation and identify those involved.
The investigation remains ongoing, and there has been no confirmed report of an arrest. The filmmaker has also asked people to remain cautious if they encounter the equipment being offered for sale at unusually low prices.
