RUNDOWN
• Alarm over the rising cases of muggings in public service vehicles.
• The muggers are mostly young men who in most cases pretend to be genuine passengers.
• Kenyans have been advised to call the Nairobi Area Police County Control on 020 3556771 in case of an emergency.
Residents in some areas of Nairobi have raised alarm over the rising cases of muggings in public service vehicles.
According to the residents and a few matatu operators who spoke to Wananchi Reporting, the muggers are mostly young men who in most cases pretend to be genuine passengers.
The new wave comes just weeks after the National Police Service (NPS) listed the Drive-In flyover up along Thika road, Globe Cinema roundabout, KCA underpass, ABC Place, Kangemi along Waiyaki way and some areas in the Central Business District (CBD) as some of the crime hotspots. The thugs have now changed their tactics and are now targeting public service vehicles, as the police are keeping their focus on hotspot areas.
The assailants are said to be using a myriad of tactics including muggings, assaults, robbery with violence, carjacking, murder, housebreaking and burglaries.
Police have therefore recommended these measures to observe while walking or driving in public:
• Reduce the use of mobile phones, tablets and laptops in traffic (especially if the windows are not tinted).
• Do not carry ATM cards when not absolutely necessary.
• Evaluate the amount of money to be deposited in your M-Pesa account.
• Keep windows rolled up at all times.
In the event that one has been mugged, police have recommended that one should comply with the given demands and not resist, argue or fight back. This is so as to avoid infliction of serious injuries or death.
Kenyans have also been advised to call the Nairobi Area Police County Control on 020 3556771 in case of an emergency.
The sentiments come amid growing public outrage that the National Police Service (NPS) is failing Kenyans owing to the ongoing increase of insecurity across the country which largely go unsolved.
By Irene Mutu
