DCI targets Uganda-linked phone theft routes in Nairobi arrests

Kenya’s Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) says it has arrested at least seven suspects and recovered more than 150 stolen electronic devices in an intelligence-led operation targeting a suspected cross-border phone theft network linked to Uganda.

The operation was conducted on January 23, 2026, in Nairobi, and focused on individuals suspected to be involved in receiving stolen mobile phones, illegally refurbishing and flashing devices, and transporting them to neighbouring countries mainly Uganda.

Investigators said the arrests form part of ongoing efforts to trace additional suspects believed to be connected to the same network, which police suspect uses informal markets and cross-border delivery arrangements to move stolen devices as originally reported by The Star News kenya .

According to the DCI’s Operation Support Unit, the suspected network is believed to facilitate movement of stolen electronics through informal trading channels, with payments allegedly made upon delivery across the border. Police said the operation recovered 150 assorted mobile phones, 16 tablets and six laptops.

DCI Director Mohamed Amin said some of the recovered phones appeared to have been tampered with through flashing and factory resets, while others still contained details believed to belong to their original owners. He said investigators also face difficulties tracing stolen devices where gadgets are dismantled and sold as spare parts.

Police said one Ugandan national was arrested in Shauri Moyo, where detectives searched her residence and recovered 75 assorted mobile phones packed in three boxes sealed with yellow tape, as well as two laptops.

Investigators said she is suspected of acting as a link between receivers in Kenya and buyers in Uganda an allegation that puts the cross-border element at the centre of the ongoing case.

A second Ugandan national was also arrested in Shauri Moyo in connection with the same investigations, police said.

A Kenyan suspect was arrested at his shop along Ronald Ngala Street, where detectives recovered 16 tablets and 19 mobile phones, police said.

Investigators said the suspect is believed to coordinate transportation of stolen devices to Uganda using Public Service Vehicle (PSV) operators. Police also arrested a loader suspected of facilitating the transport by ensuring the devices were loaded onto vehicles driven by specific drivers.

Another woman was arrested in Ngumba Estate while in possession of two mobile phones and two laptops, police said. A search of her shop later led to the recovery of 21 assorted phone components and casings. Investigators said they were still working to establish her role in the suspected network.

In a separate arrest, police said a suspect was apprehended at his residence and 46 assorted mobile phones recovered. His alleged accomplice was later arrested at a garage in Nairobi’s Industrial Area while in possession of eight mobile phones and one laptop.

Court process and broader investigations

The suspects are expected to be arraigned in court as investigations continue into what police described as a wider cross-border theft and trafficking network. Detectives said efforts to trace additional suspects were ongoing.

Police also noted that mobile phone theft remains a concern in parts of Nairobi, with investigations ongoing into related reports, including incidents involving motorcycle-related snatchings and crowd responses after theft cases.

Source : The Star News kenya