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Tales of Kenya's Notorious, Bold & Beautiful Gangsters
On April 3, 2019, a highly drilled group DCI operatives carried out a covert operation in Ruaka, Kiambu County.
Donning balaclavas and armed to the teeth, the special unit rammed into a house that harbored one of Kenya's most wanted female suspects, Lavender Akinyi Ogilo.
Speaking to the media moments after the successful raid, DCI boss George Kinoti said, "she is dangerous and operates with armed gangsters who are still at large".
Lavender, a mother of one, was linked to a spate of armed burglaries in Dagoretti, Muthaiga, Lavington and Kileleshwa estates.
DCI Kinoti went on to reveal that she was part of a gang of five notorious gangsters who had been on their radar for over three years.
This arrest brought to light the rise of female criminal masterminds in the country.
According to the 2019 Economic Survey, the country witnessed a number was a 9.8% surge in number of female-involved crimes recorded at 15,221, compared with 2017.
Kiambu, Nairobi and Meru counties recorded the highest numbers.
Just a month after Lavender's arrest, DCI operatived stationed at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) pounced on Margaret Waithira Kamande as she was just about to flee the country on May 2, 2019.
She was just about to board a flight to Dar es Salaam when the plain clothes operatives took her into custody.
It was then revealed that Waithira was one of the most wanted suspects not only in the country, but internationally as well.
"A notorious House breaker was today arrested by DCI Detectives while trying to board a flight to Dar es salaam. The suspect, who was being trailed by Detectives, was captured on several CCTV cameras breaking Apartments & offices within Nairobi.
"She is also wanted by INTERPOL, Zimbabwe & other East African countries after she jumped bail which was granted by a Zimbabwean court in offences related to house breaking, burglary and Stealing," reads a section of the statement released by DCI Kinoti following her arrest.
The suspect was further tied to an incident that happened at the Blue Hut Hotel near Krunje House, Park Rd, Nairobi, in which a police officer was shot while responding to a burglary.
Elizabeth Akinyi Abuto and Quinter Adhiambo Ong’ino (who have since been tied to Lavender's gang) were also nabbed over the same period.
They were found with hundreds of master keys, assorted tools , fake number plates, masking tapes and a safe.
In addition, two motor vehicles, a Toyota Prado and a Nissan Navara, both fitted with fake number plates, believed to be used in burglary were also recovered.
Another female who grabbed national headlines was Claire Njoki Mwaniki alias Clea Adi Vybz.
Her death in 2017, sent a chill across the nation, with many pointing to her pretty and seemingly innocent look.
However, the National Police Service soon sent out a statement tying her to a notorious gang of four that had been terrorising residents of Nairobi's Eastlands area.
The girl who was tagged as Nairobi's prettiest thug was later said to have been in an 'entanglement' with infamous Gaza Gang leader Michael Mwaniki AKA Mwane Sparta.
There was a heavy presence of plain clothes police officers during her burial at her family’s home in Kambirwa, Murang’a county.
A few days following Claire's death, her friend, Marsha Minaj who was said to have been part of the gang was also gunned down.
Marsha was shot dead together with a male suspect during a police raid at a house in Migingo, in Patanisho area.
Nairobi County Police Commander at the time, Japhet Koome, while speaking to the media said that they had been looking for Marsha and other members of her gang for a long time.
Asked the reason behind the surge of women involved in crime during a press briefing, Police spokesperson Charles Owino tied it to changes in the way of living.
"Generally, we have a shift in the way of living. The social structure of society has really changed and we now have many women who are independent, which has seen an upsurge in those who join crime," he said.
