The aftermath of the World Rally Championship Safari Rally is becoming clearer as victims of drugging (colloquially referred to as ‘mchele babes’) during the Naivasha event literally come out of the woodwork.
According to a police situation report, several victims lost more than Sh1 million during the three days of merriment colloquially known as “Kupiga Sherehe”.
Ahead of the global rally competition, police bosses in Naivasha had issued a “red alert” warning rally-goers to be wary of the spiked ladies, popularly known as mchele divas or queens.
Some failed to heed the warning and paid the ultimate price, losing between Sh200,000 and Sh500,000 in cash.
At Naivasha Police Station, one dazed victim narrated his ordeal, losing Sh450,000 to the conniving bunch.
He was still in a state of disbelief.
Narrating the sequence of events before he blacked out, the victim said they had entered a popular drinking spot accompanied by his female cousins and two friends.
“Next to us were two ladies who were deep in conversation and seemed uninterested in what we were doing. Little did we know that they were just playing it safe,” the victim said, shaking his head.
The victim and his members continued to enjoy their drinks as the night wore on, but could not resist a jig when the club’s disc jockey (DJ) played their favourite tune, so they threw caution to the wind and took to the dance floor.
“I became suspicious when one of my friends, who rarely gets tipsy despite several bottles of alcohol, started dozing off,” he added.
He decided to stay alert and focused his eyes on the two ladies, the prime suspects of his suspicions. It was a little too late.
His drink had been spiked, but the ‘knock of consequences’ had not yet kicked in. He kept his eyes open and fought the urge to sleep.
“I became suspicious when one of my friends, who rarely gets tipsy despite several bottles of alcohol, started dozing off,” he added.
He decided to stay alert and focused his eyes on the two ladies, the prime suspects of his suspicions. It was a little too late.
His drink had been spiked, but the ‘knock of consequences’ had not yet kicked in. He kept his eyes open and fought the urge to sleep.
“I got up and asked my friends to leave the club, but the two ladies caught up with me and started to argue with me,” he added.
That is the last thing he remembers before waking up on Sunday at Kinungi trading centre, where he was dumped, only to discover that the fraudsters had emptied his coffers, leaving him Sh450,000 short.
“Next to me was another drug victim who I woke up and we both staggered to the hospital to be examined before reporting to the police,” he recalls.
He has few details of the drugging incident, although he did train his eyes on the two ladies who eventually cornered him and stole from him.
They outwitted the sharp-eyed drinker… he was at the police station to record a statement, hoping his tormentors would be arrested.
Two other victims also told the Nation how they lost more than Sh360,000 after their drink was spiked at an entertainment venue in Naivasha town.
Dazed, they recalled losing the money, leaving them in a state of shock.
When they spoke to the Nation, they had not yet reported the incidents to the police.
“I woke up in my hotel room after a night of fun. Shockingly, the person who stole my money was a lady I had travelled with from Nairobi. She took my car keys (Subaru) and used them to steal the money that was hidden in the vehicle,” recalled one of the victims.
The notorious Mchele gangs have long wreaked havoc in Naivasha and have tentacles in Nairobi, where they have been linked to a number of high-profile incidents that have put senior police officers on edge.
For example, in 2021, a farmer in Narok was drugged and lost at least Sh 800,000.
Another victim was drugged and lost Sh500,000 from a local bank account, Sh10,000 from Mobile Money, Sh73,000 from another mobile banking transaction and an iPhone 11 pro max.
Another victim was also drugged and lost Sh900,000.
