How Gangs Are Stealing from Residents in Nairobi CBD in Broad Daylight

The resurgence of daylight robbery in Nairobi's central business district in recent weeks has put the police service on the spot, with many questioning the effectiveness of their routine patrols.

Gang groups including the notorious 40 Brothers gang have reportedly resumed their operations in the city center, even after the county government recently spent millions of shillings installing CCTV cameras along the streets to boost security.

The criminals are now robbing Kenyans in broad daylight, even in the streets that were previously considered safe.

Sources say the criminals have strategically placed themselves, targeting people leaving ATMs, forex bureaus, M-Pesa shops and even passers-by going about their business.

Once they identify a target, the gangs, mostly made of about 10, will usually follow you in smaller groups before converging and surrounding you, leaving no space for you to escape.

In a span about 30 seconds, the criminals snatch your items and ransack your pockets for any valuables before eloping.

“These ‘boys’ had been dealt with many years ago. I don’t understand why they have been allowed to return and terrorize wananchi,” said our source, who is an officer at Central Police Station.

A few days ago, a leaked CCTV footage showed a man being attacked by a gang outside a bank along Kimathi Street at 6:40 pm. The thugs walked away with his items. Other pedestrians are seen watching the incident without helping him.

Nairobi County Police Commander Japhet Koome says police have launched investigations into the incident, even as Directorate of Criminal Investigations scrutinizes the footage.

“We have mobilized a team of both uniformed and plain clothes police officers in the city center to crack down on this gang. Their activities had been suppressed but since they have devised new ways of robbing people, we have also come up with strategies to counter them,” Mr Koome said.

In December, a gang ambushed an Assistant Inspector-General of Police Francis Njeru as he walked to his office in the CBD and made away with Sh400,000.

Patrick Owino, a resident of Nairobi narrates how two people trailed him from behind as he walked between two parked buses along Moi Avenue.

“They started by taking my laptop bag from my shoulders and then my wallet and my phone. I tried seeking help from another man who was walking between the vehicles in the opposite direction, only for me to realize that they were together,” he said, adding that he was also injured.

Another gang is reported to be snatching handbags and mobile phones from pedestrians in the city center before escaping in motorcycles.