Karen area is considered one of the safest places in Nairobi but it has emerged that a gang of criminals who mostly use knives is terrorising pedestrians and robbing them of their valuables.
The Standard reports that in one of the attacks, two gangsters on a motorbike accosted three men at about 9.30 pm and stabbed one of them in the stomach when he tried to resist.
In another incident, Yoni Rattansi had his belly ripped open after he tried to fight with gangsters.
He described them as young smartly dressed men and revealed that they had attacked another victim near Bomas of Kenya.
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“If they had no gun, I would have fought to the end but they threatened to shoot, forcing me into submission,” stated Mr Rattansi, who was admitted in hospital for one and a half weeks.
In another attack along a street heading to Mamba Village off Langata Road, a man was accosted by two gun-toting thugs on a motorbike and robbed of Sh20,000.
Nairobi residents have also complained of a surge in mugging incidents in the CBD by youthful gangs who mostly target phones, laptops and expensive jewellery.
According to a source, the most notorious places are; Temple Road, Hakati Road, Railways Terminus on Haile Selassie Avenue, KTDA Moi Avenue and Racecourse Road.
It is also reported that the incidents happen mostly between 4 am - 6 am and 7 pm - 11 pm.
Tito Kilonzi, a Chief Officer in the Security Department of Nairobi County Government, admitted that there was an increase in crime in the CBD, revealing that it has shifted from downtown Nairobi to the major streets.
On Tuesday, three suspected thugs linked to mugging squads in the CBD were killed by police.
Two of the suspects believed to be the ringleaders were shot dead at the railways bridge near Haile Selassie round-about while the other was killed at globe roundabout.
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