Mobile money agents fortify shops to stem rising crime

Mobile money shops have been falling prey to criminals, some who attack operators with guns. Photo/FILE  NATION MEDIA GROUP

By XINHUA
Posted  Thursday, April 18  2013

Upsurge of crime targeting mobile money shops in Kenya has made operators come up with ways to ward off criminals.

Many mobile money agents across the East African nation have fallen victims to criminals, who target their businesses because of the huge sums of money they handle.

In Nairobi, it has become routine for criminals to attack mobile money shops and steal cash from helpless agents.

The mobile money shops, located in the city centre and various suburbs across the capital, have been falling prey to criminals, some who attack operators with guns.

Installation of CCTV cameras and increase in police patrols have been unable to stem the crime as criminals change tactics to steal from the businesses that are popular among Kenyans.

One shocking incident captured on camera, which illustrated the plight of many mobile money agents in the hands of criminals happened in Nairobi last year.

Armed criminals stormed a mobile money shop and ordered the operator to hand them cash.

Although the agent complied with their demands, the gun-wielding criminals shot him dead.

The incident attracted outcry from Kenyans as mobile money agents called for protection from the police.

Caught between a rock and a hard place, mobile money agents in the East African nation have resorted to fortifying their shops with metal bars and glasses as they seek to keep criminals at bay.

"We can no longer take chances with our lives and businesses because criminals have made it a habit to attack and steal from us, " George Mogire, a mobile money agent recounted on Tuesday.

Mogire runs a mobile money shop in Donholm on the east of the capital.

As many others in Kenya, Mogire's mobile money transfer shop is located within his chemist as he seeks to maximize profits and use the former to increase traffic at his premises.

However, whereas the businesses are in the same shop, Mogire has partitioned the place from where he services mobile money customers, fortifying it with iron bars.

"I did it last year after seeing on television thieves stealing from a mobile money shop operator before shooting him dead. The incident frightened me. I had to do something to enhance security of my business," he recounted.

The victim in the video clip, as Mogire, was running the mobile money shop inside his chemist. However, he had not secured the cash shop.

"It dawned on me that I could be the next victim if I did not secure my cash transfer shop and make it separate entity from my chemist business," said Mogire.

The businessperson made a cubicle on one side of the shop and fortified it with metal bars
.

"I made the place look like a bank counter to ensure it is safe. The customer passes money to the attendant without them coming directly into contact and vice versa. This makes it hard for a criminal to attack the attendant," said Mogire.

Many of his customers, according to the businessperson, were surprised with the new look of his shop.

"I provided answers to those who questioned me, but most of them understood that it was a security measure," he said.

A walk along streets of Nairobi confirmed that mobile money shops operators are not taking chances with security.

Most of them have fortified their shops with metal bars and heavy glasses like commercial banks. However, one operator along Tom Mboya beats them all.

The mobile money agent has put a heavy wooden door on his shop and reinforced it with another made of metal.

The agent drilled two small holes on both doors, which he uses to serve customers along the busy street.

Written conspicuously on the outer door is his shop's number.

The shop in a way looks like prison cell, but it is evident the agents cares about his security more than anything else.

"You cannot take chances with security. It is better my shop looks like a cell and it is secure, than I make it classy and I become a victim of crime," noted the agent identified as Ben.

Mobile money transfer service is one of the most lucrative businesses in Kenya, with agents handling millions of dollars per day.

According to the Central Bank, Kenyans make an average of USD1.5 billion mobile money transactions every month.

In 2012, citizens of East Africa's biggest economy transacted business on mobile money transfer platforms worth Sh18 billion, the highest in the history of innovation in Kenya.

Last February, Kenyans made transactions worth USD1.64 billion, defying increase in tariffs.

With such figures, criminals believe mobile money shops have lost of cash.

"Thugs know that when they attack a mobile money agent, they will not miss cash. That is why they have intensified attacks on the shops," said Mogire.

A survey released on Tuesday by Security Research and Information Center revealed that criminal activities in Nairobi are on the rise, with robbery and theft accounting for 41.1 per cent and 34.9 per cent of total crime respectively.

Most of the crimes usually take place between 6pm and 3am according to the report titled Nairobi Region Annual Crime Observatory Report 2011/2012.