Nakuru robberies: Are police involved?

The phrase “gangster’s paradise” feels like the most fitting way to describe Nakuru at the moment. Over the past two weeks, the town has experienced a disturbing surge in robberies, assaults, and murders—many of them carried out in shockingly brutal fashion.

From Pipeline in Nakuru East to Rongai on the opposite side of town, a wave of insecurity has swept through these areas, leaving residents in fear and uncertainty, unsure of who might be the next target.

To put things into perspective, there have been at least six reported robberies in Nakuru within just two weeks. Based on court records and first-hand witness accounts, one disturbing detail stands out—how these crimes are executed.

According to every witness we spoke to, one of the attackers was always armed with a firearm. This detail was also confirmed by County Commissioner Loyford Kibaara in an interview with Mtaa Wangu, where he revealed that authorities believe the suspects are in possession of an AK-47 rifle.

Whenever firearms are involved in local crimes, speculation tends to rise—and this case is no exception.

Some witnesses whispered suspicions that rogue police officers might be aiding or even participating in these criminal acts.

These concerns were echoed by Commissioner Kibaara, who criticized certain officers for their complacency—or worse, their complicity—in enabling crime instead of combating it.

Regarding the AK-47, the Commissioner did not dismiss the possibility that it could belong to a police officer.

“As we speak, we’ve recovered two cartridges from separate crime scenes—one in Pipeline and the other from the recent incident at Ngata Bridge. Both have been sent for ballistic analysis. Every bullet distributed in this country has a unique serial number, and that will help us determine whether the firearm used belongs to one of our own,” he says.

Before the latest attack at Ngata Bridge, five other incidents had already been reported in the Pipeline area. Most of these were logged at the Pakawa Police Post.

Loyford Kibaraa reveals that at the onset of these incidents they did an overhaul of the police post transferring all the police officers who were in this station.

“Not all of us are good people, so we had some officers who were not up to what their responsibilities were in that station and so we did away with them. Additionally, if we find out that there is an officer whose firearm is being used to carry out this crime, they know the consequences,”he states firmly.

He concludes by urging residents to stay alert and report any suspicious activity to the nearest police station.