Indepth: Criminals on the prowl at JKIA, East Africa’s busiest air transit hub

The Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) is turning out to be a safe haven for criminals who prey on arriving passengers, before striking kilometres away after stealthily trailing taxis used by their victims.

Over the last one month, police have received six complaints from passengers who landed at the international transit hub before being waylaid and robbed at gunpoint.

Detectives believe a criminal ring based at JKIA is behind the incidents, based on accounts given by victims. The modus operandi of the six attacks was almost similar. Victims were ambushed while waiting at the gates to their homes.

Investigators trying to unmask the criminals behind the latest wave of crime believe some of the taxi operators at the airport could either be members of the criminal syndicate, or are working in cahoots with the gangs.

But the investigations might lead nowhere after police in charge at the airport dismissed the insecurity fears.

Additionally, zeroing in on the criminals is becoming difficult because of the existence of two rival taxi camps.

One camp comprises cabs licensed to operate from the facility, while the other pushing to have a slice of the cake, is unlicensed. Members of the latter faction sneak in their vehicles, exploiting lax airport security rules.

Detectives have been unable to determine the camp the alleged criminals work with. Occasionally, for the last two years, the rivalling factions fight over control of limited parking slots at the airport.

Licensed members under the banner of Airport Yellow Cabs Association (AYCA) have unsuccessfully tried to have their rivals removed, but in vain.

Strangely, AYCA is sharply divided over the insecurity concerns.

Some members maintain that it is the unlicensed taxis who are colluding with criminals, while others argue that the rampant cases of insecurity in the city cannot be blamed on a specific group or individuals who are trying to eke out a honest living.

“We have to be very careful so that we do not ruin other people’s businesses. It is not entirely true that criminals trail victims from the airport. Drivers frequently bump into criminals looking for getaway vehicles, while in some cases, our branded cars with bold JKIA markings become easy target because the criminals can easily tell that they are from the airport,” stated Beatrice Wangai, the AYCA secretary. She said their drivers have fallen victim to opportunistic criminals and many cases have been reported at Industrial Area, Central, Kilimani, Kileleshwa, Muthangari, Parklands, Pangani, Kabete and Kikuyu police stations, among others.

According to the official, it is wrong to assume that most attacks targeting clients from JKIA are planned at the airport. She notes that carjacking incidences are common in several neigbourhoods of the city.

“Yes, this problem (attack of clients from JKIA) has been there for the last one or two years when we started having unlicensed taxis. But to me, that is not a big issue; security should first be beefed in the estates. Our members have been victims of criminal attacks. For instance, about two weeks ago, our driver was attacked and abandoned in Kikuyu. He driven around the city as the criminals demanded money. About Sh110,000 was sent to them, but they were demanding Sh150,000,” explained Wangai.

But police sources indicate that some taxi drivers are working with the criminals, who trail their victims to their homes at night. On average, the airport serves 19,000 passengers daily from Africa, Europe and Asia, according to Kenya Airports Authority (KAA).

A senior officer based at JKIA, speaking on condition of anonymity, insisted the problem was real and escalating.

“This is a new trend. They trail you from the airport and strike as you approach your home or wait for the gate to be opened,” he claimed.

Apparently, the criminals, who include female accomplices, target victims heading to high-end suburbs like Kileleshwa, Lavington, Runda, Kilimani, Kitisuru and Muthaiga. Women act as decoys to lure unsuspecting clients into cabs at the airport.

Once safely inside, the taxi takes off with the customer oblivious to the fact that another car is trailing them.

When the taxi driver stops at the final destination and waits for the client’s gate to be opened, the second car suddenly pulls up, and gun-toting thugs jump out.

The gunmen frisk the victim in seconds and if nothing worthwhile is found, they commandeer the taxi and drive around the city, as they demand that their hostage call relatives and friends to send money to their phones. Victims include locals and foreigners. They are usually abandoned in Nairobi West, Lang’ata, Dagoretti or Kikuyu, according to police.

JKIA is Kenya’s largest airport and the busiest in East Africa. In February last year, the airport was recognised for its excellence in customer service by Airports Council International (ACI). It was named the fifth best airport in Africa during the prestigious 2014 ACI Airport Service Quality (ASQ) Awards.

KAA however blames the insecurity on police. The authority’s corporate affairs manager, Dominic Ngigi, said their hands are tied when it comes to the maintenance of security at the airport. He clarified that their main concern was aviation security.

“Security at JKIA is under the ambit of Kenya Airports Police Unit (KAPU). Those claims could be valid, but that is the function of KAPU. We don’t have powers of the police. In addition to that, the unlicensed operators are supposed to be arrested and prosecuted,” stated Ngigi.