American Tourist Robbed

An American Tourist Lauren Brom visiting Rwanda was today robbed by a motorist pretending to be a cab driver.

Brom arrived this afternoon in Rwanda by Bus from Nairobi Kenya. After reaching Nyabugogo bus terminal, she sought service of a cab driver but wasn’t aware of how genuine cabs look like.

Brom said the driver spoke good English and thus trusted him to deliver her to a hotel.

The runaway driver quietly approached her and asked her where she was going in English. She gladly entered his vehicle and placed all her bags in the back seat and sat in the co-drivers seat.

She wanted to be delivered to Kacyiru residential apartments which she had pre booked on line before she arrival.

Brom narrated to IGIHE.com that when they reached a narrow road that had no houses or roads branching off, She noticed the driver locking the doors with the child safety switch but was convinced it was just safety manners until he put his hand in his left pocket and pulled out a Swiss army knife.

She panicked asking the driver where they were and what he was going to do to her when all of a sudden he swerved the car and parked on the side of the road.

The driver told her to not to try anything funny or he would hurt her but if she just gave him all her money and get out of the car she won’t be harmed, he took her money and threatened to find her if she was to report it to the cops.

Brom said she was simply glad to get out alive that she quickly gave him the money and left the car, in her haste to get out of the car she left her belongings in the back and simply went with her empty purse and her passport.

She said she only remembers the driver was wearing a cap and his car was white but had no orange lining that she didn’t know represented taxi cabs.

She was helped by area residents that escorted her to a proper cab. Brom reached her apartments where the staff helped her locate a western union branch where she sent for more cash.

Brom says she hasn’t been fazed by this episode since her experience in Kenya has taught her a few things about African robbery. She will still use taxis but only those she knows are official cab drivers.