Two suspected thieves were arraigned at the Machakos Law Courts on Thursday, accused of stealing mobile phones from patients at Machakos Level V Hospital. The suspects, Peter Mutavi Mutua and Francis Musembi Mumo, pleaded not guilty to the charges before Senior Principal Magistrate James Ombura.
The duo was arrested on Wednesday after CCTV footage captured Mutua entering the hospital at 8 a.m. and leaving about an hour later, having stolen an Infinix phone worth Ksh.25,000 from Patricia Kasyoka, a patient in the radiology department. Upon questioning, Mutua led authorities to Mumo, who was found in possession of the stolen phone.
Mutua was also charged with stealing another phone valued at Ksh.12,000 from Magdalene Mueni at the same hospital. Both suspects are currently being held at Machakos GK Prison and are scheduled to appear in court on Friday to determine if they qualify for bond or bail.
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The hospital's management noted an increase in phone thefts, attributing it to the digitization of many processes at the facility. As payments and transactions are increasingly conducted via mobile phones, thieves have begun targeting patients carrying these devices.
