Police report of spike in crimes in city after schools closure

Inspector General of Police (center) and Director of Criminal Investigations George Kinoti are briefed by a police officer on the cache of arms numbed with terrorists who intended to blow up buildings in Nairobi. [Photo by George Njunge/Standard]

Crime in Nairobi has surged after the closure of schools for the April holidays.

Police statistics show an increase in cases of mugging and other crimes in the past weeks.

According to the police, they receive at least five complaints of attacks daily in the city, up from three before the schools closed.

A team set up to track gangs said most of those behind the new wave of crimes were school-going children.

“We have seen a trend where thugs increasingly attack and rob pedestrians, especially at night. Most of these thugs are students,” said an officer.

He asked parents and guardians to take care of their children, saying they would be arrested or killed.

"If you lose an identification document or mobile phone, please report it to the police for your own safety. Those valuables may be used in crime and you will be held responsible," said another officer.

Beefed up

The Nairobi police boss, Joseph ole Tito, yesterday said operations had been beefed up to tame crime in the city.

On Tuesday night, a policeman was injured as he pursued criminals said to have been robbing residents in Dandora.

The officer got a deep cut on the leg.

One suspect robber was shot dead. Police came in following complaints that a gang was robbing residents of cash and mobile phones.

Officers said they were looking for several suspects who escaped, adding that the attackers were students. It is not clear if the man who was shot was also a student.

Four suspects were shot dead in an attempted robbery in Kibera on Sunday.

Police said the suspects were identified by residents as being part of a gang that had been terrorising them.

Three other suspects were lynched after their attempt to rob revellers at a bar in Luckysummer.