Police carry out night operation in Eastleigh as part of efforts to contain terrorism

By CYRUS OMBATI

NAIROBI, KENYA: More than 300 people suspected to be illegal aliens were Friday night arrested in police operations in Nairobi.

Police say most of the suspects were arrested in Eastleigh which has the highest number of aliens in the city.

The suspects were on Saturday being interrogated at various police stations and police said the move is part of larger efforts to contain terror activities in the city.

Nairobi police boss Benson Kibue said they intend to charge in court most of those arrested without papers.

"We always advise the aliens to register with authorities as per the law. Some of them are illegal immigrants and they will go to court because they pose a danger to us at large," said Kibue.

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Most terrorists usually hide in Eastleigh and that is why it is being targeted, police said amid protests from locals over what they termed as harassment.

Some of the terrorists who staged an attack on Westgate mall on September 21 killing more than 70 and injured 200 lived in Eastleigh, officials have said.

Police said they will continue with their operations targeting the terror activities adding that threats are still there.

Other efforts include the return of roadblocks in the city for random police checks.

Meanwhile, a driver and a passenger were Friday night shot and seriously wounded in a carjacking and robbery on a bus along Waiyaki Way, Nairobi.

The bus was headed for Uthiru when some of the passengers turned out to be thugs and took its control. Police say the driver was shot after he declined to heed orders to divert the bus into an alley while the passenger was shot after he declined to surrender his mobile phone. The gang later abandoned the bus and escaped into a nearby slum and no arrest has been made so far. Cases of carjacking of PSVs are on the rise in Nairobi.

Police too have mounted operations on the thugs and managed to kill 12 of them in two weeks. They have ordered crews to screen their passengers.