Have CCTV cameras helped curb crime in Nakuru city?
Some of the CCTV cameras outside KCB bank along Kenyatta avenue in Nakuru city on October 2, 2024.
Years back, Nakuru witnessed a devastating moment when insecurity was on the rise in the city and its environs.
This saw a reshuffle of police bosses, in an attempt to restore sanity. Additionally, Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) cameras were installed in some streets in Nakuru including Moi Road, Kenyatta Avenue and Mburu Gichua.
Now two years on, Mtaa Wangu takes a look at the impact the CCTV cameras have had in enhancing security within the city centre.
At the CCTV monitoring room, stationed inside the Nakuru Disaster Management building, ICT in charge at the city board, James Ndung’u, notes that on several occasions, the cameras have saved the day after people were mugged or their cars broken into.
ICT in charge at the city board, James Ndung’u, during an interview at the Nakuru Disaster Management building on October 2, 2024.
“We have received about 10 requests for CCTV footage review, with half of the people successfully recovering their items while the culprits were arrested. The surveillance has greatly helped in curbing insecurity cases around the city centre and also controlling rowdy motorists in town, especially those in the matatu industry,” he notes.
James further reveals that some cameras were damaged by goons during the anti-government protests.
He however notes those that are currently working, have helped a great deal to support security apparatus in their investigations.
Asked how one can access the footage in case they lose something within the city centre, he shares that the best procedure is to report to the police first, before making way to the city board office in the company of the investigation officer.
“You are required to write a request letter to the city board manager, Gitau Thabanja, for approval before you can view the CCTV footage,” James explains.
“Majority of the car vandalism cases occurred to cars that were parked behind Merica Hotel, outside Tower one and next to Huduma centre.”
Commenting on the potential that the surveillance cameras present in taming crime in town, Nakuru County Commander Samuel Ndanyi notes that with proper utilization, the cameras can help control crime in real time.
“We are in talks with the county to have the surveillance cameras also monitored from our side. If this happens, we can be able to track activities in the city centre in real time, especially in the evening where some individuals tend to break the law,” he adds.