Embakasi: Police arrest 16 suspected muggers in a raid

A police patrol in Nairobi.

Photo credit: File

Police officers responding to complaints of increasing cases of mugging in Transami, Embakasi yesterday arrested 16 suspected muggers hiding in a makeshift hideout near the former Taj Mall underpass.

Nairobi Police Commander Adamson Bungei said the suspects were arrested following a crackdown targeting muggers in the area.

The suspects were armed with 37 kitchen knives, a toy pistol, three pangas, six scissors, and two hammers.

During the raid, police also seized 10 meter boxes belonging to Kenya Power, 158 rolls of bhang, two litres of chang’aa, three mobile phones and a Zuku recorder.

They suspects will be arraigned on Monday for various offences including planning to commit a felony.

“We have declared war on them, they will not continue harming innocent Kenyans as they go about their business,” said Mr Bungei.

The raid comes in the wake of the government's declaration of an all-out war on mugging gangs in the city and other major towns.

“We have witnessed increasing criminal activities involving small groups of criminals armed with knives and other weapons who are terrorising the citizens of this city and a few other urban areas,” Prof Kindiki said during a press briefing at the National Police College last week.

The briefing happened after a senior commanders’ meeting that drafted an action plan against these criminal cases. A new command structure that also encompasses officers from NGAO has been set up to mitigate further incidents.

“These boys who have dared the government and want to tell us they can take over the city and make it a centre of crime, we have heard you and we are coming effective immediately,” Prof Kindiki added.