Gangs fight for control of Mlango Kubwa drug den
Two gangs that have their base in Brixton Area, Mlango Kubwa, Starehe Sub-County, reportedly engaged in running battles with police officers leading to the arrest of four suspects.
Nairobi News has established that it all started when members of the two gangs which have been identified as Brixton and Watu wa Columbia started fighting for control of an area where drugs and the illicit brew are being sold.
The two gangs have been living along the Nairobi River on the outskirts of Mathare Constituency where they reportedly sell drugs and illicit brew for as cheap as Sh30.
On Thursday, April 6, 2023, a member of one of the gangs went to a nearby mosque but on his way, he was stopped by members of the other who took away his chains, money, and a mobile phone before they fled the scene where the commotion took place.
They also stabbed him using a knife and he is currently fighting for his life at a local hospital.
It is then that the member went back and informed his friends who made a decision to chase after the other gang which led to an ugly confrontation in that they even burnt down a motorbike in the process.
Police officers from both Starehe Sub-County and also from Vigilance House operation team got wind of what was happening and a team was deployed to deal with the situation.
Nairobi News spoke to locals, the police, a senior detective in Nairobi and members of the gang who gave their side of the story on the incident.
Locals who spoke to this reporter as the operation went on said that they have always raised concerns on the houses which are erected along the river saying it was a hiding spot for criminals but so little was being done.
However, they said that they were happy the situation had changed as the police on April 7, 2023 raided the area and put down the structures.
“This place is very dangerous, you cannot tell the difference between day and night but we are happy the police stormed here on Friday and burnt down the shanties. This is where the criminals usually hide, take drugs and cheap liquor the whole day,” said Mr Steven Macharia, a businessman at Mlango Kubwa.
Another local, Mr Gabriel Mulama, said that for a while now people usually fear crossing the tarmacked road that joins Mlango Kubwa and Muthaiga Police Station, especially during the night.
Mr Mulama said, “Hii mahali huwa moto sana, lakini vile askari wamekuja leo tunaimani kwamba mambo yatabadilika (This is a dangerous area, however, now that police officers have come here we hope that things will change)”
One of the gang members who was involved in the confrontation said that when their close ally was attacked they had no option but to go and assist him.
He said that when they went to question why they had attacked their friend, police officers arrived at the scene and started dealing with both gangs.
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