Police in Machakos are investigating an incident in which a man was arrested for allegedly stealing a nurse’s mobile phone at Machakos Level 5 Hospital.
The suspect, identified as a 17-year-old, was caught with the phone of Philip Mumo, a nurse at the public health facility, on Monday.
This arrest follows the recent capture of two other men suspected of being part of a phone theft ring that has been preying on patients at the same hospital.
The suspect reportedly stole the phone shortly after receiving medical attention from Mumo at the hospital’s Diabetes Centre.
Disguised as a patient, he had sought medication before committing the theft.
According to Mumo, he had left his phone on his desk while he consulted a fellow nurse.
Within minutes of leaving, he realized his phone was missing and immediately alerted the hospital’s security team.
The security personnel reviewed the CCTV footage and identified the suspect, who had just been attended to by Mumo, as the culprit.
Mumo explained, “Around 3:00 pm, while I was working at the Diabetes Centre, I left my room briefly to consult with a doctor.
When I returned, I found my phone had been stolen. I reported the theft to the hospital’s security team, who quickly reviewed the CCTV footage and saw the suspect taking the phone.”
The security team, along with Mumo, tracked the suspect to the outpatient area, where he was confronted and asked to return the stolen phone.
He complied, retrieving the phone from his sweater pocket and handing it over to the security personnel.
The suspect was then taken to Machakos Police Station and spent Monday night in custody. He is expected to appear in Machakos Law Courts on Tuesday.
Machakos County Chief Officer of Public Health, Simon Simba Mwako, stated that this case serves as a warning to those who exploit hospital environments for theft.
He announced enhanced security measures at the facility, including mandatory identification tags for all staff to better monitor and prevent thefts targeting both staff and patients.
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