Video: Nairobi man jumps off matatu window, gives chase to sneaky phone snatcher

A man in Nairobi has surprised Kenyans by taking a big risk and jumping out of a moving matatu to catch a phone thief.

The footage shows the thief creeping up to the matatu, sliding open a window, and snatching the phone straight from the passenger's hand.

The video captured the dramatic moment, and it has since gone viral.

The victim of the phone snatcher did not hesitate. He hauled himself through the narrow window and jumped out into the traffic, determined to get his device back.

The video, recorded by a camera mounted on a motorcycle, captures the frantic chase.

The thief bolts, weaving through the traffic. At one point, he nearly gets crushed between a car and the motorcycle as he scrambles to escape.

Online, Kenyans have been asking one question: what was on that phone? Many believe it must have held something extremely valuable to push its owner into such a risky move.

The incident comes as Nairobi residents grapple with a surge in snatching cases. Phones, watches, prescription glasses, and expensive jewellery are among the items targeted.

Women have also raised the alarm over a rise in wig-snatching. Criminals reportedly prey on women stuck in traffic or walking through crowded areas, then suddenly grab their wigs and pull them off.

The video comes in the wake of the Directorate of Criminal Investigation (DCI) busting a phone theft and hacking racket in Kisii town.

The mobile phone syndicate was operating under the guise of a phone repair business.

Detectives from DCI Kisii Central teamed up with fraud investigators from Mogo Auto Ltd and cracked open the racket in the town.

Law enforcement arrested two suspects and charged them with stealing and unlawfully unlocking financed mobile devices.

The team raided a phone repair shop at Market Plaza, arresting the suspects, identified as Duncan Ontita Anyaga and Phares Nyagaka Luke, off guard.

What they unearthed inside painted a picture of a sophisticated operation.

Detectives recovered over 500 assorted mobile phones and motherboards hidden away in the shop.

Among them were several Mogo-financed Tecno KM4 handsets that had earlier been reported missing, stripped of their security locks and readied for resale.