The Government is implementing new measures to deal with rising insecurity in Nairobi.
The Cabinet on Tuesday approved the deployment of GSU officers to the city streets to deal with rising cases of muggings and robberies.
Officers from the Administration Police Rapid Deployment Unit (RDU) will also join in patrolling the city.
"In response to the security concerns, the Cabinet sanctioned up-scaling of security surveillance to deter crime and sanctioned swift and decisive action to deal with all those perpetrating crimes," said the statement from the Cabinet Office.
It added: "Following the reorganisation of Nairobi County Security command, there are the deployment of additional specialised police units drawn from the General Service Unit and the Rapid Deployment Unit".
The new team of officers will join their counterparts stationed in police stations in dealing with the street mugging menace.
By Wednesday afternoon, a dozen officers from the two units were spotted in city streets, some on foot and others in patrol cars, in new efforts to make the Central Business District safer.
Sources familiar with the security plans told The Standard that there were other mitigation measures that include an overhaul of security deployment in Nairobi.
The sources attributed the rising crime to infighting between two police units deployed to provide security in the city streets.
As a result, the two groups have been engaged in a smear campaign, giving criminals leeway to terrorise city residents.
On Tuesday, Interior CS Kithure Kindiki and Inspector General of Police Japheth Koome met senior police commanders in Nairobi to, among other things, discuss ways of dealing with crime. Prof Kindiki allayed fears of a go-slow in the police service, saying a process has started to review officers' welfare to boost their morale.
