Re-emergence of boda-riding criminals cause jitters

Igembe North Police officers show some of the motorcycles recovered from robbers at the Laare Police Station in Meru County. [File, Standard]

The emerging trend of gun-toting robbers storming business premises and environs is raising concern among residents in Nairobi and surrounding environs, where emboldened criminals strike at will, with the latest incident being witnessed in Ruaka, where a woman lost her pricey mobile phone.

The victim, identified as Priscah and her colleague, Bridget Amase, were standing outside a salon where they work when armed with a pistol and demanded the mobile from the former.

CCTV footage shows Priscah trying to hide her phone, prompting the gunman to grab her before hitting her with the weapon as she screamed for help.

Priscah manages to free herself from the grip of the attack and dashes into the salon with the determined robber in hot pursuit.  Inside, the gunman fires one shot, grabs Priscah once again, and snatches her phone.

The robber hurriedly walks out, firing a gunshot and escaping on a waiting motorbike. The Saturday incident is the latest in a worrying pattern that not only endangers the safety of residents but also exposes blatant security lapses.

Residents are concerned that should the criminals continue to walk scot-free, their safety will be at risk. 

The brazen manner in which the robbers are attacking victims has exposed police as officers who mostly respond to crimes and emergencies rather than trying to prevent them in advance.

Since July 1, at least 50 robberies have been reported across the country involving at least four AK47 rifles, over ten pistols and assorted crude weapons.

At least two people have been killed, two raped and several others injured during such robberies.

In most of these robberies, especially in built-up areas, the robbers have been escaping from the scenes using motorcycles – a fast mode of transport and almost untraceable means of escape.

Just like the Ruaka attack, one minute is all it took to rob customers of their property at Chaiiwali Hotel along General Mathenge in Westlands, where customers were robbed of seven mobile phones, cash and a laptop.

The owner, Tawaq Muhamed Akil, said the armed men struck at around 10.40 pm after parking their motorcycles at the pedestrian walk.

They intimidated the customers before systematically moving from table to table as they robbed them. They then fired two rounds in the air before riding away. According to the phone signals, the robbers went to Kariobangi after the incident.

Though Police spokesperson Muchiri Nyaga said officers cannot be everywhere, the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) boss Mohammed Amin has also assured Kenyans of their unwavering commitment to safeguarding the safety and security of all persons.

Not long ago, a similar robbery was reported when three men posing as customers raided an M-Pesa shop within the vicinity of Kasarani Police Station and robbed the agent of Sh250,000.

The victim, Kelvin Sabari, said the three men went to his shop at around 11 pm and threatened to shoot him before they took the money and left for an unknown destination.

In another incident, five robbers armed with a pistol and crude weapons raided the residence of Jacob Muturi Thirimbi at Green View estate in Rua Sub-County and tied him with a rope. They then forced him to withdraw a total of Sh585,000 from his KCB and M-Pesa accounts. The criminals also robbed the family of four mobile phones and sexually assaulted the wife and daughter.

In most of these cases, the robbers have been using pistols but in two cases, the attackers were armed with superior rifles.

In Kehancha, Migori County, three robbers armed with two AK-47 rifles and a club raided a shop belonging to Sohia Boke and robbed her of Sh60,000 on July 4. They fired one shot in the air to scare away the bystanders. Detectives who visited the scene recovered a spent cartridge.

A day earlier, robbers raided the home of Hypolitus Owiti Obunga, 75 and hit him on the head before they attacked his son, Paul William Ochieng, as he was driving home in Nyakach Sub-County.

In Kunda Kindu village of Matungulu Sub-County, hooded robbers raided the residence of Rebeca Maroa and stole phones and a laptop before raping one of the domestic workers.

The same night in Itara village in Embu, Duncan Iregi Muhoro, the Kerugoya ABSA branch manager and his wife were waylaid at their gate by three men armed with pistols riding on a motorcycle who shot Muhoro on the hand before forcing them into their vehicle and driving away with them.

They were later abandoned in the Kariambo area in Kutus. Along the way, the rider parked the motorcycle somewhere and joined them in the victim’s car. The couple was forced to transfer money from their M-Pesa and bank accounts to a certain mobile number.

These are some of the incidents making Kenyans worried over the deteriorating security rate blamed on weak policing and enforcement mechanisms.

Security expert Dr Andrew Kimani noted that crime was increasingly becoming organised, calculated and technology-driven.

“The real test is whether offenders believe they will ultimately be identified, arrested and convicted,” he said.

Dr Kimani, who is also the Chief Executive Officer of the Transport Licencing Appeals Board (TLAB), added that some of the recent incidents pointed to careful planning, swift execution and a coordinated escape.

“This underscores the need for intelligence-led policing, integrated CCTV systems, forensic science and real-time digital tracking,” he said.

On his part, the police Spokesman insisted that the Service was innovative enough to confront all kinds of security challenges and scenarios. 

“The bodaboda sector is a major youth employer. And we all know that lack of employment of any kind is probably one huge reason for the rise in crime, in the first place,” noted Muchiri.

On July 3, boda boda riders stormed the Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH) and demanded to know why their two associates, who had been subjected to mob injustice after they were suspected of theft, were not immediately attended to.

The following day, about 300 riders went to the hospital to take revenge and demand the release of the two bodies. They were, however, repulsed by the officers.

They later regrouped around Marspark Hotel in Jamhuri and started looting and terrorising the residents.

To effectively confront this trend, Dr Kimani thinks that Kenya should explore court-supervised electronic monitoring for carefully selected repeat violent offenders on bond, parole or other forms of supervised release.

“Used within constitutional safeguards, such technology could significantly reduce reoffending. Ultimately, crime is best deterred not by an omnipresent police force, but by the certainty that justice will catch up with every offender,” he said.

Further, the recent killing of at least two watchmen at Ismailia in Kisumu town and the serious injury of several others across the country have brought to the fore the role of private security guards in policing.

In most of these attacks on premises, the first point of contact is the entrance, mostly manned by the private security officers, who are usually the first line of response.

According to security analysts, the guards are major players in the industry and have to be fully integrated into crime management and prevention. The industry currently employs close to one million guards.

“There is an urgent need to make them more professional and efficient by training them on being alert, how to identify exhibits and evidence, the criminal justice system and how to relate with other state security organs,” security expert George Musamali said.

According to the Internal Security Principal Secretary, Dr Raymond Omollo, the guards should be provided with the right training so that they can detect, deter and effectively respond to the current and emerging security threats appropriately.

“Kenya cannot afford to have police officers manning everywhere, hence the need to incorporate private security guards. However, the guards can only complement the sector when they are well-equipped, trained, and remunerated,” he said.

Sidebar: DCI adopts a multi-agency approach against criminals

The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) has enhanced targeted operations following the surge and thwarted several planned attacks, recovering assorted weapons and ammunition.

Several robbers have also been arrested and others killed.

The adoption of the multi-agency approach, whereby all agencies have to work together towards dealing with any form of threat, has proved to be effective, according to experts.

Last Wednesday, they arrested five suspects linked to robberies and mobile phones snatching, recovering 65 assorted mobile phones, three laptops, a heat gun, two motorcycles and 50 assorted motorcycle protective gear.

The same day, officers intercepted a high-profile suspect believed to be a major player in the illegal arms trade network at the Kanyonyo Vehicle Checkpoint (VCP) while in transit to Nairobi.

According to the police, the arrest and recovery disrupted a significant criminal supply chain intended to fuel criminal activity in the capital city and its environs.

In another operation on July 4, detectives nabbed three suspects and recovered two pistols and five rounds of ammunition in Nyangoto, Kuria West Sub-County.

The suspects were identified as Charles Mwita, Joshua Obachi and Ignitius Likhanga.

In another sting operation, a team of detectives from DCI headquarters, accompanied by an officer from Kamukunji Police Station in Soy, Uasin Gishu, also conducted an intelligence-led operation along Eldoret-Kiplombe Road, where they shot dead four suspects and recovered a Falcon pistol loaded with four rounds of ammunition, four ID cards, breaking implements and five mobile phones, among others.

The officers had received reports that the suspects, dressed in mixed military attire, were robbing members of the public along the road.

Uasin Gishu County police commander Wilberforce Sicharani said detectives later uncovered the gang’s operational hideout in Huruma, Eldoret. The officers recovered five Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) jungle jackets, a heavy wedge hammer, a crowbar, two mobile phones, among other items.

“The recovery of the military-style attire adds a crucial piece to the ongoing investigations into a criminal network masquerading as police and military personnel to carry out violent robberies across the Rift Valley region,” said Sicharani.

Another multi-agency team along the Thika-Garissa Highway recovered 10 pieces of Emulsion explosives, five detonators and a 20-foot detonating cord and four dry cells. The suspects claimed they were to be used in blasting rocks in Mwingi, Kitui County.