Shooting inside shop exposes raising insecurity in Kasarani area
By Amina WakoTwo weeks ago, two men posing as customers stormed a shop in Sunton, Kasarani area where they shot the shopkeeper and his friend. The whole incident was captured by a hidden CCTV camera.
The footage made rounds on social media and a week later police in Nairobi identified one of the armed robber as an ex-convict at Kamiti Maximum Prison.
DEADLY INCIDENT
No arrests have been made following the deadly incident even as the duo that were shot and injured are nursing their wounds at Kenyatta National Hospital.
Area residents who along the Roysambu-Kasarani-Sunton-Mwiki stretch say that the incident became the talk of town because the robbers were captured shooting at the duo.
Otherwise the shopkeeper could have lost his money with the incident going unnoticed.
In February 2019, four armed thugs stormed a gaming Café in Sunton area and made away with the money.
The incident was also captured on CCTV as the four forced the owner of the shop to hand them money.
They also stole four TV sets, a laptop, hard disk drives and 25,000 from the owner.
The matter was reported at Sunton Police Station under OB 26/15/02/2019 but to date, no arrest has ever been made.
THREAT TO BUSINESSES
Business owners and residents who this week spoke to Nairobi News said that the gangs are a threat to their businesses.
Ms Hannah Obita said that she is forced to close her business premises as early as 5pm in order to avoid troubles with the armed gangs.
“The area is not secure and as the business community we have always raised concerns with officers at Sunton to ensure that they deal with the criminals,” she said.
Mr Humphrey Kihara a Nyumba Kumi official told Nairobi News that the area is prone to crime and the incident only exposed what takes place there almost on a daily basis because a gun was used, and someone was shot.
“Otherwise incidents of robbers stealing from members of the public, threatening them with pistols is ever on the increase here in Kasarani,” Mr Kihara said.
According to him, the area is not only surrounded by slums that are always linked to criminals around it but is also a host of suspicious characters during the day.
He said that many criminals were posing as matatu touts by day and turning to crime by night.
MATATU TOUTS
“It is a common scenario to find one matatu having more than two touts and they are all unruly,” he said, adding that they are always chewing khat or carrying liquor and drinking.
The same sentiments are shared by Sahid Hussein who is a local in Mwiki.
Mr Hussein told Nairobi News that the incident is one of the many that have taken place in the area.
He claims some matatu touts are known to work in cahoots with the criminals who are giving the locals sleepless nights.
He said there are gangs known for sitting at every bus terminus along the road where they share money they collect from matatus.
“At every bus-terminus along Roysambu-Mwiki stretch we have a gang that collects money from the public service vehicles. Each day they keep on growing in numbers,” Mr. Hussein said.
Mr Hussein said that Sunton area has become a no go zone from 9pm since that is the time most of the armed thugs operate.
CONVICTED OFFICER
Mr Alex Makau, who lives near a bridge that links the Sunton area with Dandora, said that things are even worse there.
He said that the gangs usually terrorize people who cross the bridge as early as 6pm.
“The gangs hail from the Dandora side and they usually cross to Kasarani to rob their victims before going back. The police should lay a trap and arrest them all,” Mr Makau said.
Dandora is one of the slums in Nairobi with the highest complaints of extra-judicial killings by the police.
Residents here said that convicted former police officer Titus Kimani alias Katitu played a key role in dealing with insecurity in the area.
Mr Nimrod Njoroge says Katitu used to patrol the areas and was feared by the gangs.
“However, since he was jailed things also changed in this area,” he said.
Katitu is currently serving a 15-year jail term after he was found guilty of murdering Mr Kenneth Kimani at Githurai bus stage on March 14, 2013.