How street photographers have become the target of criminal gangs
A street photographer taking a photo of a client in Nakuru.
John* never thought it could happen to him, always careful where he went and where he chose to work.
But like many unsuspecting victims, it happened right in front of his eyes and in broad daylight.
A photographer by trade, John plies his trade on the streets of Nakuru, willing to take pictures of anyone who asks for his services.
Armed with a camera, softbox and S Bracket Speedlight setup, he makes a living from locals who want to capture precious moments in the city.
Street photography has become a popular hobby for many young people, who come out in large numbers, especially on weekends, which are usually peak days for the business.
Resulting in the craft growing from a side hustle to a full-time business. Along the main streets of the city you can see photographers with their cameras and other equipment waiting for customers who want to have a professional photo taken.
But lately, as John explains, those in his trade have come under attack from criminals who see them as easy targets, as most of them are usually isolated and not in public spaces.
John reveals that he has been a victim of these criminals, who he says come from the slums to terrorise them.
"I moved my business to Milimani because there are so many of us doing the same job in the Central Business District (CBD). I saw this as a way of building my own customer base and reducing competition," he said.
However, a few months later he was the victim of a robbery when a group of young men on a motorbike came to where he was and took his Canon camera, two lenses and a flashlight, leaving him scared and traumatised.
"I tried to follow up with the police, but the trail went cold, making it impossible to catch the thieves. I have not been able to fully recover but I am slowly trying to rebuild my business," he said.
Inside the CBD, we spoke to Mark Kamau, also a photographer. Kamau agrees with his colleague that getting robbed is indeed the biggest problem they face at the moment.
"The robbers, as soon as they see that you have cameras, a softbox and other equipment, we become targets, putting us at a very high risk of being robbed," he said.
Running their business without security makes the situation even more difficult, as criminals sometimes pose as customers who pose a threat given the fact that is its difficult to distinguish a genuine customer from a criminal.