Terror in the city: When armed gangs ruled the streets of Nakuru

On May 29, at around 10 pm, there were reports of a shooting incident in the Ngata area, with unconfirmed photos of the crime scene circulating online.

Soon enough, the incident was confirmed by the police. A young man had been fatally shot by unknown gunmen who also robbed a nearby shop.

This was not the first incident; six days prior, a similar incident occurred in the Pipeline area. Jackson Mwangi, a 53-year-old, was shot and killed.

The two incidents had one thing in common: eyewitness accounts recalled the assailants having a rifle, and the shell casing recovered from both scenes being that of an AK-47.

Between May 23 and June 1, a series of robberies were witnessed in various parts of Nakuru and, in their wake, a trail of dead bodies. From Pipeline to Bondeni, Upper Hill and Ngata areas.

But in June the assailants had run out of luck after four of them were arrested by police in connection with the terror.

However, this came at the cost of a police Constable Josphat Ruto’s life who was killed on the firing line.

The individuals were charged with several counts of robbery with violence, and their matter is still pending in court.

Moving on swiftly, it was on a cold, wet evening of the same moth at around 7 pm. At this time, people were busy closing their shops and businesses so as to proceed home.

But while at it a group of young men carrying rungus raided the town assaulting innocent bystanders, beating them almost to death.

Now imagine this does not happen for only that evening but for a whole week in different parts of the city center.

The group of vigilantes walked around town terrorising anyone on sight with impunity.

Later it emerged that the “vigilantes,” were acting under the protection of police in unholy union alongside some political leaders in the county who had contracted them to “enforce law and order” in the city.

Another terror incident was witnessed during the commemoration of the June 25, 2024, protests where peaceful protests were hijacked by goons.

For the better part of four hours, these goons held the city center hostage, looting businesses, stealing phones from innocent bystanders, and destroying public property.

Even though these were random acts of violence, there was order in their disorganization. They managed to block the major access points on the main roads in the city center, making it impossible for the police in their Land Cruisers to pass.

Another case at Hilton estate in London Ward where a Police officer shot and killed an innocent resident was another source of insecurity in the county.

According to the residents, a group of police officers had made their way to the estate on the morning of June 9; their main aim was to collect bribes from the known drug peddlers in the area.

However, this time it was not business as usual, as the residents decided to revolt against this harassment. In the middle of the scuffle, one police officer removed their gun and fired, hitting and instantly killing a young man, Daniel Nderitu.

This led to protests among the residents in Hilton, and the police were right in the thick of it. Soon, the Independent Police Oversight Authority (IPOA) stepped in and managed to zero in on one police officer, Police Constable Ephantus Njeru. The police constable is currently facing murder charges.

With all these separate incidents, it was evident that “maji yalikuwa yamezidi unga,” and something needed to be done. Around August this year, Michael Mwangi, the Police County Commander at the time, was replaced by Emmanuel Opuru.