Police releases latest crime statistics in Kenya

Police Spokesman Charles Owino

At least 35 police officers were killed while on duty between January and April, new crime statistics show.

Of these, 16 were killed through bullet and grenade wounds, two committed suicide while 13 were killed in accidents.

Crime incidents increased by 1,448 cases in the first quarter of 2018 hitting 21,263 as compared to 19,815 that were registered in 2017.

Police spokesman Charles Owino who released the figures on Monday said the country also experienced an increase in several categories of crime including offenses against morality which hit 119 cases, 152 robberies, 214 cases of stealing, 332 cases of dangerous drugs and 162 cases of other penal code offenses.

Owino said the move to release quarterly crime statistics is aimed at looping in public cooperation in managing the situation.

The figures police have so far show there was a decrease in homicide by 40 cases or five percent this year, theft by servant reduced by 49 cases or seven percent and offenses involving police officers by 12 cases or 57 percent.

“Progressively, it is noted that crime increased by 15 percent in January coming down by eight percent in February and decreasing to 1.6 percent in March,” said Owino.

The figures show 609 people died in accidents between January and March this year as compared to 744 who died in 2017 while there was no case of abduction reported in the period this year.

Since January, 60 more cases of abortion were reported as compared to those recorded last year, ten more cases of concealing birth and 41 more of unnatural offenses.

The statistics show 41 more cases of theft of motor cycles were recorded in the first three months.

Some 13,609 cases of assault were recorded in 2017 as compared to 14,558 of 2016 and 14,529 of 2015 and 791 cases of affray were reported in 2017 as compare to 892 of 2016 and 493 of 2015.

A crime report in the 2018 Economic Survey shows there were 2,774 murder incidents in 2017 as compared to 2,751 in 2016, 2,648 in 2015, 2,649 in 2014 and 2,878 in 2013.

There were 2,713 robbery incidents in 2017, 2,697 in 2016 and 2,865 in 2015. Some 6,131 cases of breaking in 2017, 5,621 in 2016 and 5,591 in 2015.

Offences against morality cases stood at 5,492 in 2017, 6,228 in 2016 and 6,164 in 2015.

There were 784 cases of rape, 3,487 cases of defilement, 287 cases of incest, 107 sodomy, 26 bestiality, 245 indecent assault, 138 abduction and 68 bigamy cases in 2017.

In 2016 there were 923 rape cases, 4,512 defilement, 288 incest, 81 sodomy, 44 bestiality, 155 indecent assault, 53 abductions and 13 bigamy cases.

The report says the total number of crimes reported to the police increased by 1.3 per cent from 76,986 in 2016 to 77,992 in 2017 while there were 72,490 cases in 2015 and 69,376 in 2014.

Owino said cases of abortion and those of morality have more to do with standards of morality in the society and pose a challenge to police in terms of enforcement.