Pedestrian shot as police fight off city muggers

A pedestrian was shot and injured as police confronted a group of muggers along Landhies Road, Nairobi.

The gang of five had been waylaying and robbing pedestrians on the road when a police officer who was also headed for work confronted them.

In the process, he shot aiming at them but missed hitting a pedestrian in the hand, police said.

The muggers managed to escape on foot and police said at least four victims had lost their valuables.

The injured victim was rushed to the hospital where he was attended to and discharged, police said as they declared a hunt on the muggers was ongoing.

Cases of mugging have been on the increase in the city in the past weeks leaving many injured and others with no valuables.

And to address the menace, police are planning a major operation against hawkers, street children and bodaboda operators in Nairobi.

So far 35 suspected muggers have been arrested since Sunday. Another operation is planned and it is targeting the traders, street families and bodaboda operators.

A crisis looms because most of the bodaboda operators argue they have paid to be allowed to operate within the city.

The Director of Operations at the City Inspectorate Department, Peter Mbaya said bodaboda operators will not be allowed in the Central Business District.

He said only motorcycles having carrier boxes or those offering courier services and have branded boxes will be allowed into the CBD.

He said the operators will be dropping their passengers in areas outside the CBD such as City Stadium and Ngara. But the operators say they have paid for licenses to allow them to come to the CBD.

The County Government has since circulated a notice indicating the ban on the operators with immediate effect.

“Any operator and passenger found contravening this law will be arrested for an offence punishable by hefty fines and long jail terms provided for in the Traffic Act 2014. Motorcycles ferrying goods are exempted,” said a notice issued Tuesday.

Organised criminal gangs operating in the CBD have been accused of stealing from Nairobi residents and escaping on motorbikes.