Photo: Notorious female robber wanted in several African countries arrested at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport

A Kenyan woman wanted in several African countries for robberies, has been arrested at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) as she awaited a flight to Dar es Salaam.

Ms Margaret Waithira Kamande, described by detectives as a notorious robber, was arrested on Thursday night after detectives trailed her to JKIA.

“We trailed her for more than one month without raising any eyebrows and we are also planning to make more arrests. We are now targeting her accomplices,” an officer involved in the investigations told the Nation.

Ms Kamande was put in the Interpol list of wanted criminals after she jumped bail granted to her by a Zimbabwean court in burglary case. She was later arrested together with two others in a Tanzanian nightclub.

During the arrest, they were found in possession of door master keys, bunche of house keys and a crowbar that police in Zimbabwe believe was used to break into doors.

“She is also wanted by Interpol, Zimbabwe and other East African countries after she jumped bail which was granted by a Zimbabwean court in offences related to burglary and stealing. She had been on the run until her arrest,” the Directorate of Criminal Investigation said in a statement.

The arrest marked the end of a cat and mouse chase that Ms Kamande had engaged with Interpol and Kenyan detectives for years.
Detectives said she was planning to flee the country after being tipped of her imminent arrest.

Her gang targeted Lang’ata, Kilimani, Kileleshwa and Lavington neighbourhoods in Nairobi.

She has been captured on CCTV cameras breaking into several apartments and offices in Nairobi.

In some cases, members of the gang posed as workers from water or electricity companies during their robbery missions.

“It’s a well-structured gang that had succeeded in conducting deadly robberies that at times included the use of a gun when things went out of hand,” an officer said.