28 suspected goons arrested in Nakuru as Police intensify crackdown operation

A coordinated security operation by the National Police Service has led to the arrest of at least 28 suspects linked to criminal gang activity in Nakuru East Sub-County, in what authorities describe as a breakthrough in restoring order in the area.Acting on intelligence reports, police officers launched a series of targeted raids across several estates, beginning with Kaloleni, where 12 suspects were apprehended inside a single-room house. According to investigators, the individuals were allegedly in the midst of planning further criminal activities at the time of the arrest.In a follow-up operation within the same estate, four additional suspects were flushed out from a nearby hideout. The crackdown then extended to Freehold Estate, where officers arrested other four individuals believed to be connected to the same network.The operation culminated at the busy Railway Stage area, where eight more suspects were rounded up, further tightening the net on what police believe is an organized gang responsible for a string of insecurity incidents that have unsettled residents in Nakuru East and surrounding neighborhoods.All 28 arrests were made within a period of 24 hours, with the dragnet also extending beyond Nakuru East to hideouts in Kaptembwa, Bondeni, Rhonda, and Wakulima Market, areas where gang members have been accused of terrorising members of the public, according to Nakuru County Police Commander Samuel Boit.Among those netted was a suspect identified as Julius, described by police as a notorious extortionist and highway robber who had allegedly been colluding with rogue police officers. Julius was wanted in connection with murder and abduction, making his arrest one of the most significant outcomes of the operation.Commander Boit confirmed the arrests and said the operation remains ongoing.“It is true that some elements were arrested, and they will face the full force of the law. We were able to nab a notorious extortionist involved in highway robberies by the name Julius, who has been colluding with officers and was wanted for murder and abduction,” he says.Commander Boit notes that the crackdown has also exposed a troubling case of impersonation, with one suspect allegedly using a stolen police uniform to conduct raids on homes.“There is a late officer's uniform that was stolen when they raided a house and took it, and someone is currently wearing it,” he warns, adding that efforts to trace and apprehend the individual are actively underway.On sustaining the momentum of the operation, Boit says they are everywhere, and when they have concrete intelligence, they act on it, and that they will continue to do so.He calls on those still engaging in criminal activity to reconsider their choices.“If they do not stop, we will deal with them in the best way we know. Let them change,” he warns.Boit also notes that officers are using specific identifying markers to profile and track gang members, including a distinctive silver tooth. When asked whether such profiling amounted to discrimination, the commander was unapologetic.“They know themselves, and we know how to identify them,” he says.All suspects are currently in police custody, undergoing processing, with authorities indicating they will be arraigned in court on Monday.Police also say the operation is part of ongoing intelligence-led efforts to dismantle criminal networks across the county.“We want a peaceful, safer Nakuru. That is what this operation is about, and that is what we will deliver,” Commander Boit affirms.