Owners of some buildings currently under construction in Nairobi have raised concerns over rising cases of theft targeting newly-fitted windows, doors and gates.

The thieves also target iron sheets used to demarcate construction sites, or wooden poles.

“These people are always walking around construction sites during the day, identifying valuables they can easily carry away later at night,” Martin Kamau, a construction site manager told Wananchi Reporting.

He added that: “Some thieves will climb up the walls to try and steal loosely fitted window frames, doors and other valuable structures.”

“Just the other day someone stole three window frames from a building under construction. The frames had just been fitted, but had not yet been cemented to the walls,” said Kamau.

According to Kamau, the thieves often strike before the frames are permanently fitted onto the wall, because then it is easy to uproot them – and carry them away.

The trend, according to one landlord who spoke to Wananchi Reporting, is common in estates in east-lands area of Nairobi.

It’s one headache that new home owners especially in the outskirts of Nairobi have had to contend with.

Victor Apala, a new home owner in Nairobi, said he had to get a relative from the village to stay at the site – and keep watch.

“Before I brought the cousin to guard the site, I lost many valuables, from bags of cement, timber, a water tank and even my gate too was stolen,” said Apala.

Reports indicate that some of the stolen window and door frames are sold to other builders cheaply. Some also find there way to unscrupulous metal dealers.