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Why police have banned this crime alert Facebook page

By WINNIE ATIENO October 15th, 2015 1 min read

Police have outlawed a Facebook page, ‘Mombasa Crime Alert’, accusing some of its members of involvement in criminal activities.

Coast Regional Police Commander Francis Wanjohi on Tuesday evening said the platform was outlawed following complaints from the public.

But despite the ban, the closed group Facebook page was still active Wednesday evening.

The page has been highlighting criminal activities and road accidents in Mombasa, including posting pictures of missing persons and suspects on its Facebook page.

“The reports we have been getting from members of the public are not very pleasing. The group cannot operate in this county,” he told journalists.

A screenshot of Mombasa Crime Alert Facebook page.

He also warned Kenyans against any dealing with administrators of the page which has more than 40,000 members.

On Tuesday, a ceremony to hand over the newly built Mtwapa Traffic Commander’s office block was cancelled at the eleventh hour following claims that the Facebook page’s administrators were involved in construction of the building.

Mr Wanjohi said it was later confirmed the office block was built by Mombasa Cement company.

Last week, County Commissioner Nelson Marwa ordered the arrest of the administrators of the page, saying some of them had been taking the law into their own hands.

The group’s administrator Hussein Madwani declined to comment when contacted.