One Nairobi resident was caught red-handed, carrying a stolen dustbin in the Nairobi CBD just days after they were installed.
While making the arrest on Monday night, June 2, Nairobi County Chief Environment Officer, Geiffrey Mosiria, stated that the man would serve as a lesson to others plotting to steal the newly installed bins and sell them as scrap metal.
The arrested young man had managed to break one of the CBD bins and take the inner part, a cart that is used to move the waste, and dump it.
"Last night, we apprehended a young man who was caught stealing county street dustbins. This serves as a stern warning to anyone involved in stealing or vandalising public dustbins with the intent to sell them as scrap metal, you will not be spared," Mosiria said in a statement.
"Such individuals will face the full force of the law. Impunity must be stopped at all costs, and the protection of public resources is non-negotiable. We urge all residents to be vigilant and report any suspicious activities. Let’s work together to safeguard what belongs to all of us."
In a video accompanying the statement, Mosiria interrogated him on the extent of the theft, other co-conspirators, and how he had managed to break into the dustbin.
Initially, the suspect insisted that a staff member of Nairobi County had unlocked the bin for him and directed him to carry it.
However, he later changed his story when Mosiria ordered all supervisors on duty to avail themselves for identification, stating that he was a street dweller and his accomplice was a man who often bought him food.
At the end of the 20-minute-long clip, the suspect was whisked off in a city council vehicle, presumably to the Industrial Area Police Station.
The installation of the CBD bins kicked off on Sunday, May 18, with the bins meant to serve pedestrians after the previously installed ones were stolen.
While leading the exercise, Mosiria warned against the dumping of commercial waste in the bins, warning that necessary legal action, including prosecution, would be taken as a deterrent to others.
He also urged Nairobi residents to safeguard the bins and raise an alarm when they see anyone trying to steal or vandalise the bins.
