1

July 2018

Executive Summary

Crime activities

The crime rate remained relatively high across the country in July. Crime in residential areas in particular surged from 26% in June to 40% last month. A total of 59 civilian, 5 police and 42 suspects’ deaths were noted in our database. These were main-ly as a result of murders, armed robberies, sexual assault and suicides in addition to accidents such as fires. - See page 5

Down at the coast, Mombasa recorded a surge in crime due to an increase in the number of organized gangs operating in the area. Pedestrians and motorists have fallen victim to the crimi-nals who mostly target lone people as early as 1900hrs while intensifying at around 2200hrs. - See page 3

School Arson

Arson was also rampant in schools; a trend that has heightened in the past three months. Investigations into the arson cases targeting schools have so far led to the arrest of over 90 stu-dents. - See page 6

SIM-Swap crime

The SIM-swap scams were on the increase last month with more than 20 arrests being reported. Criminals who apparently colluded with employees of telecommunication service providers or obtained information fraudu-lently, used the same information to defraud a number of mobile money subscribers of their money. - See page 2

Terrorism

Terror-related activities accounted for 6% of the crime noted around the country. Compared to June, there was a 2% increase in crime; an indicator that the militants are perhaps devising alternative means to get past the high presence of police and military personnel patrolling the borders. - See page 3

Securex

Monthly Security Briefing

Our Highlights:

31st July - One of our mobile response teams managed to put out a fire that had broken out at a commercial prem-ises along Addis Ababa Road, Nairobi. The fire had been caused by an electric coil that had been left plugged in.

22nd July - Two suspects were appre-hended by our Security Officers after they colluded to steal valuables from a manufacturing company at Syokimau on the Nairobi-Mombasa highway.

03rd July - At 1543hrs, our mobile re-sponse team reinforced with police es-cort apprehended a suspected fraud-ster at a business premise on Busia

2

July 2018

NPS to undergo radical changes to en-

hance efficiency

The National Police Service is expected to under-

go widespread changes in a bid to enable it serve

the public better. In the proposed changes, more

than 3,600 Administration Police (AP) posts lo-

cated at chiefs’ camps countrywide will be con-

verted to modern police posts. All the 1,520

wards will have police stations and the stations

in the 290 constituencies converted into police

divisions. About half of the 47,000-strong AP force will be re-

trained, equipped and redeployed to the Kenya Police to address

police shortage issues.

As at 31st July 2018, a circular in the National Police service had

directed 503 high ranking officers to report in their new stations

by mid-August. These are among the first who had received the

transfer letters. In March, the newly appointed Director of Crimi-

nal Investigations George Kinoti transferred 368 police officers,

97 senior officers and 271 other junior officers, in a bid to

strengthen the criminal investigations unit.

More than 20 SIM-Card fraud suspects arrested

Over 20 suspects, including mobile service provider employees, a

university student and mobile money agents, were arrested and

thousands of assorted SIM cards from three telecommunications

companies recovered. Also recovered was an IEBC voter registra-

tion list, mobile money agents’ record books, among other

items; an indicator that the fraudsters use government material

obtained fraudulently as a source of data. Nairobi, Nakuru and

Uasin Gishu are among counties where the crime has been re-

ported.

HIGHLIGHTED NEWS

Senior security agencies officials at Kenya School of Govern-

ment (Capital News)

3

July 2018

The SIM-swapping crime, which has been persistent in Nigeria since

2016, is the latest vice that has cropped into Kenya in mid-2017 and

has seen customers lose their savings in banks and mobile wallets.

Kenya’s economy largely depends on mobile money and the rising

cases of phone scams raises serious economic concerns.

Mombasa gradually becomes riskier at dusk

Criminal gangs have reemerged in Mombasa’s Central Business Dis-

trict and in estates surrounding the town. This has made it increas-

ingly dangerous for pedestrians on the streets from as early at

1900hrs, with attacks reportedly intensifying after 2200hrs. The

muggers, who mostly target lone pedestrians, walk in groups of

about ten. When they spot a potential target, they divide them-

selves in two or three groups depending on the vulnerability of

their target and then pounce on him from the front and behind.

Some gangs operate around Marikiti, Posta, Saba Saba, along Nkru-

mah Road and Nyali bridge.

The criminal gangs, mostly composed of youth aged between 14

and 24, are said to operate in Old Town, Kisauni, Nyali, Bondeni and

parts of the CBD. Two gangs, Wakali Kwanza and Wakali Wao, account for most reported incidents. The

gangs are said to target lone people, motorists stuck in traffic and pedestrians who happen to be in poorly lit

alleys with limited escape routes. The criminals are always armed with knives and on other cases, firearms.

July records increased terrorist activities

There was an increase in terror-related activities in July, with nine incidents recorded. Of the nine, six were

direct attacks on police officers who were either conducting patrol or in government installations. Six of the

incidents were reported in Garissa, while three were reported in Lamu County. Mandera accounted for two

and the last occurred in Wajir.

HIGHLIGHTED NEWS

4

July 2018

The militant group’s operations have been somewhat curtailed by the ongoing operation by the Amisom troops

which has greatly affected their income from illegal charcoal, contraband and pirating activities on the Somalia

coastline. Recently, reports of Al Shabaab recruits returning home after broken promises of a good life were

publicized. This, among other factors, has led to the militant group starting a radical child recruitment in the

Middle Shabbelle Region of Somalia. It’s not yet known if they have also targeted Kenya in the recruitment ex-

ercise, but it is viewed that they might do so since using locals to carry attacks in Kenya after training them in

Somalia is an option they have utilized in the past.

Notable Terrorism related Incidents

26th July - At 1445Hrs, two police officers aboard a truck were injured around Milihoi, Lamu County, after Al-Shabaab militants attacked them. Their vehicle and one personal car were torched as the militants fled.

15th July - Police intercepted six students at Habaswein ar-ea, Wajir County, while on transit to Libya to join terrorist groups. The suspects, who were from Dadaab refugee camp, were handed over to the Anti-Terror Police Unit.

12th July - Rural Border Patrol Unit policemen reportedly repulsed an attack against their camp situated at Lafey, Mandera County, which had been perpetrated by Al-Shabaab militants. The militants had staged a gunfire attack in addition to using explosives.

10th July - The police foiled an attack by members of the Somalia-based extremist group al-Shabaab on a Hamey po-lice camp in Liboi, Garissa County. They raided the post from different corners and had a heavy exchange of fire with offic-ers based at the station.

3rd July - Seven police officers were injured in a suspected Al Shabaab ambush between Sangailu and Handa-ro in Garissa County. The militants stole an AK47 rifle and fled when they were overpowered by the police.

A police vehicle that was torched by Al Shabaab at

Milihoi (Securex)

HIGHLIGHTED NEWS

5

July 2018

NAIROBI Compared to June, Nairobi recorded a 14% increase in crime in residential areas. but However, crime in public areas reduced from 36% to 20% and from 33% to 26% in com-mercial areas. Over 70% of criminal activities recorded in residential areas were robberies targeting unsecured homes in low and mid-dle income areas.

Crime targeting the industrial sector was re-ported at 6%, mainly characterized by pilfer-age and break-ins.

A marginal 1% drop in crime targeting resi-dential areas countrywide was noted in the month of July.

Crime targeting public areas increased from 17% to 24%, while crime in educational insti-tutions remained at 15%.

Other activities noted included suicides, re-covery of contraband, human trafficking, and poaching, which collectively formed 6% of the criminal activity recorded last month.

COUNTRYWIDE

GRAPHICAL ANALYSIS OF CRIME BY SCENE OF CRIME

6

July 2018

Fires formed the highest percentage (20%) of activity noted around the country. Most of these incidents were school fires.

We recorded a total of 69 deaths around the country, three being police officers, 57 civilians and 9 suspected criminals.

Meanwhile, four hijackings were reported during the period. All of these happened in Nakuru County, specifically along the Nai-robi-Nakuru highway.

Nairobi recorded a 19% increase in robbery incidents in comparison with June. A signifi-cant number of robberies, break-ins and muggings were reported to have been staged at night.

A total of 37 deaths (2-police officers, 2-civilians, 33-suspected thugs) were reported from the criminal incidents in Nairobi.

COUNTRYWIDE

GRAPHICAL ANALYSIS OF CRIME BY INCIDENT

NAIROBI

7

July 2018

In Nairobi, the third week recorded the high-est number of criminal activities while the second had the lowest.

We noted a gradual increase week-by-week for crime outside Nairobi.

In a county-by-county comparison, Nairobi still tops in the number of criminal incidents across the country followed closely by Nakuru and then Homa Bay.

STATISTICS BY COUNTY

GRAPHICAL PRESENTATION OF CRIMINAL ACTIVITIES

WEEK BY WEEK STATISTICS

8

July 2018

MAP SHOWING INCIDENTS IN NAIROBI

9

July 2018

MAP SHOWING INCIDENTS COUNTRYWIDE

10

July 2018

CARJACKING SAFETY TIPS

Be on the lookout for individuals parading the streets as

officers because some might be criminals masquerad-

ing as cops.

Be careful when approaching what appears to be a

scene of an incident as it may be an ambush set-up.

Assailants have been known to crash into victim’s vehi-

cles and strike when the target steps out to assess the

damage. This usually involves getting ambushed along

a pothole-filled road while the driver slows down to ma-

neuver.

REACTION

Attackers are in most instances interested in your vehi-

cle and valuables only, so try to stay calm until the per-

petrators leave.

During a carjacking, keeping yourself and those aboard

safe should always be the first priority.

After an incident, always get to a public place if you

can’t phone for help right away.

Describe the event to the police, with particular empha-

sis on who, what, when, where, and how.

EMERGENCY CONTACTS

INSTITUTION CONTACT

Police Emergency Hotline/ Control Room 999, 020 3556771, 2724154, 2724201

Anti-Terrorist Police Unit 020-2724406

Nairobi Fire Brigade 020 2344599

Diplomatic Police Unit 0708589522, 0731170666

National Disaster Operation Centre 2212386/ 2211445

St. John’s Ambulance 020 2210000, 2244444, 0721225285, 2715310

Kenyatta National Hospital 020 2726300/9, 0722829500/1/2

Kenya Red Cross Emergency Operations Centre 020 3950395, 072860502, 0738602502, 0728602503 (toll free)