Pipeline breathes again after months of violent robberies

Several measures seem to have been put in place after residents of Pipeline, Barnabas, and Pakawa raised an alarm last month over rising gang attacks in their neighborhoods.

Community leader Maina Nyaituga says residents met on September 3 to bring forth complaints to police and other leaders and to propose new interventions.

“Among the issues raised was the need for patrols by police to lure out the gangs and make arrests,” he says.

He explains that the area OCS pledged to seek support from his commanders if the challenge proved bigger than anticipated.

“He agreed to overnight patrols, which have been happening daily in Nakuru East. But we confirmed that nothing similar is happening in Gilgil, and that leaves a gap,” Nyaituga notes.

He adds that boundaries between the estates remain a sticking point.

“When an incident happens, the question of who should respond comes up. That is why we proposed either staffing Pakawa Police Post with more officers and a vehicle, or upgrading it into a police station,” he explains.

Residents also recommended harmonizing Pakawa with Mwariki Police Station to ensure full coverage.

“The current structure is confusing, and criminals take advantage of that,” Nyaituga says.

The meeting, however, also exposed tensions among Nyumba Kumi leaders.

“Wazee wa Nyumba Kumi in Gorofa and IDP areas blamed Pipeline and Barnabas for producing wakora, while leaders from Pipeline and Barnabas pointed the finger back at Gorofa. It turned into a blame game,” he says.

Meanwhile, insecurity continues to disrupt daily life. Business owners in Gorofa and IDP complain that shops are often broken into as early as 8 p.m., forcing them to close early.

On a positive note, Nyaituga says several arrests have been made since the meeting. But he adds that residents have also raised concerns about local policing.

“There is even an allegation that the area inspector is a drunkard, and people are calling for his summoning and investigation,” he says.

He further notes that both some police officers and Nyumba Kumi elders have been linked to nearly 13 chang’aa dens in the area, raising deeper worries about compromised enforcement.

“Despite the slow change we are seeing, several issues still need to be addressed. We are ready to work with law enforcement, but we want assurance that our concerns are being taken seriously,” Nyaituga says.