By VICTOR BWIRE
SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT 

IN THE past seven years, Kenyan banks have lost close to Ksh500 million through armed robberies and fraud. Below are some of the robberies reported in the press.  

In the first four months of this year alone, robbers have so far struck a Standard Chartered bank branch and Blueseas Forex Bureau, both on Kimathi Street in Nairobi, and a branch of the Bank of Baroda in Mombasa.  

In the Standard Chartered Bank incident, the amount taken was not immediately available, but in the case of the forex bureau, the thieves took off with Ksh20.8 million. The Bank of Baroda in Mombasa lost Ksh15million.  

In 2003, gunmen held employees of Consolidated Bank on Harambee Avenue in Nairobi hostage before getting away with Ksh36 million. They even dumped about Ksh8.8 million in the banking hall when the loot became too heavy. They had posed as customers and once inside the bank, confronted the staff and at gunpoint ordered them to lie on the floor. 

Investigations by police indicated that the robbers knew some of the employees who had keys to the computer and strong rooms by name. Even more intriguing was the fact that police were informed of the robbery almost two hours later after the thieves had fled. The bank is situated about half a kilometre from the Central Police Station. 

Police said the thieves took Ksh30 million in Kenyan currency while the rest was US dollars and pounds sterling. 

In the same year, gunmen struck at the Kenya Commercial Bank in Nyeri and got away with Ksh12 million. Policemen suspected of involvement in the theft were questioned and some of the stolen money recovered. 

In Nairobi, four gunmen burst into Diamond Trust Bank located at the Aga Khan Hospital and made away with Ksh12. 9 million in 2003. They had walked in posing as customers and waited until the strong room was opened, then stuffed Ksh10 million and $38,000 into paper bags. 

In 2002, gangster posing as customers snatched Ksh11 million from a forex bureau in Mombasa. They had walked into Fort Jesus Forex Bureau and forced the workers at gunpoint to lead them into the strong room, where they took the money in both foreign and local currency. 

The same year, thieves in yet another robbery walked into Leo Forex Bureau in the port city and made away with Ksh3 million. 

In Kisumu, robbers struck at Pel Forex Bureau and made way with Ksh2.5 million in both local and foreign currency.

In 2002, armed robbers raided a Equity Building Society branch in Muranga, ransacked the banking hall and on failing to get access to the strong room, took off with a computer worth Ksh110,000 and cell phones valued at Ksh30,000.

A few months earlier, thieves  walked into the five-star Intercontinental Hotel in Nairobi, and had tea before stealing Ksh7 million from the Commercial Bank of Africa branch in the hotel's lobby. 

In 2001, robbers held workers hostage at Paramount Universal Bank, Chester House before escaping with Ksh6.5 million. In the same year, gangsters raided Post Bank at Canon House and stole Ksh 1 million.