Police officers in Nairobi county detailed a tactic they used to reduce the crime rate in the Central Business District (CBD) after a crackdown was launched in November 2022.
According to Raphael Kimilu, the Nairobi Central Sub-County Police Commander, the police single out gang leaders in the city, which led to the apprehension of other members.
"What we did is to identify the groups involved in the muggings across the city. Some members were arrested and arraigned in court," he stated.
He added that some gang members were traced to Dandora, Kibera, and Shauri Moyo.
"We have used a lot of resources as provided by the government to ensure sanity is restored in Nairobi," he further informed.
Kimilu noted that the crime rate reduced after the crackdown following an outcry from the public on daylight robberies.
Nairobi residents also echoed the police boss' sentiments, noting that the crime rate reduced during the 2022 December holidays compared to other festive seasons.
"Security during the festive season was beefed up. I have not heard any cases of muggings in the previous days," one of the residents stated
"Before a group of eight gang members would ambush unsuspecting residents robbing them of all their valuables. But since the crackdown, the gangs are nowhere to be seen," another resident added.
Interior CS Kithure Kindiki launched the crackdown on all gangs preying on innocent city dwellers. He was in liaison with Nairobi governor Johnson Sakaja and Inspector General Japhet Koome.
"We have already started taking measures to deal with the emerging crime trend in Nairobi," Kindiki stated in November 2022.
Activists criticised Koome and Kindiki for issuing a shoot-to-kill order. In his rebuttal, Kindiki argued that he would defend his police officers for drawing their weapons.
