Boda boda gangsters shoot and injure Tanzanian national in Majengo slums
Police have launched investigations into the shooting of a Tanzanian national on Wednesday night during a robbery incident in Majengo slums, Nairobi.
Mr Arutus Silaton, who was in the company of two friends, was shot and wounded on his left leg by two gunmen who were riding a motorbike.
According to the police, the gang shot him after demanding valuables and cash from the victim after a confrontation. During the incident the assailants robbed them off their mobile phones and cash before riding off. The victim was rushed to Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH) in stable condition.
On Thursday, police were deployed in the area for an operation in an effort to arrest the gunmen. They said they are targeting gangs riding on motorbikes who are suspected to be behind some of the incidents being reported.
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“We advise those confronted to always cooperate for their safety. A mobile phone cannot be worth your life but we will get them,” the police said.
The police further said they have added and mobilized more patrol teams to enhance security in the city ahead of the festive season.
In October, a man was shot dead in Donholm area after robbers mistook disposable cups he was carrying for money.
Nicodemus Munyasya, 38, had left a bank after depositing a cheque when two armed men on a motorcycle accosted him and shot him four times in the leg and once in the chest.
“He was in possession of a carrier bag containing two disposable teacups which the robbers thought was money,” the police said.
At the scene, police recovered a spent cartridge and the victim’s mobile phone.
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Last month, Nairobi operations commander David Apima cautioned the robbers on motorbike that their days are numbered.
He spoke during a security meeting with boda boda operators at Green Park terminus in Nairobi.
The meeting was held to deliberate on ways of curbing rising cases of insecurity in the city. The meeting came in the wake of a wave of robberies executed by men on motorcycles.
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According to the police, the gang ride in pairs, while targeting pedestrians using their phones and those walking alone along deserted streets. Women with handbags and people carrying precious items are also targeted.
Such crimes usually rise in the run-up to the December festivities, when many Nairobians are shopping before travelling for the holidays.
Police in the capital have zoned some of the dangerous spots where motorcyclists are most likely to attack victims.
Several estates in Eastlands areas such as Dandora, Kayole, Makongeni, Donholm, Umoja and others in Dagoreti, Kawangware, Kibera and Githurai have been listed as prone to gang attacks.