Githurai Kimbo: Estate where crime is routine

By Cyrus Ombati

Nairobi, Kenya: The estate where wanted terror suspect Felix Nyangaga Otuko and his wife were killed is one of the most dangerous in terms of crime in Nairobi.

Githurai Kimbo is an upcoming estate that is about 20km from Nairobi’s central business district.

Lack of sewerage system and piped water suggest an estate that is being constructed without proper planning and management.

Roads in the area are poor and dusty, which makes policing difficult. Hardly a day passes before police report incidents of murder and robbery in the estate.

Two counties

The area is a mixture of slums and suburbs and half of it lies in Roysambu Constituency of Nairobi County, while the other half is in Ruiru Constituency of Kiambu County.

The estate is served by Thika superhighway and a branch of Kenya-Uganda railway from Nairobi to Thika.

Near the estate, there exists an army armoury belonging to Kahawa Garrison/Barracks, which is few kilometers away.

Perhaps this informed Otuko to choose it as his place of stay even as he ran away from authorities over his links to terror activities.

Troublesome

Nairobi area head of CID Nicholas Kamwende said the area is one of troublesome estates.

“We believe they chose the area because they knew they could hide there without much suspicion,” said Kamwende.

Residents said crime is high and they lack major services.

Hardly a day passes without somebody being mugged or carjacked.