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Nairobi Regional Commissioner Gilbert Kitiyo.
Crime & Investigations

Govt Identifies at Least 126 Organised Criminal Gangs Operating in Nairobi

by Daily Trends
written by Daily Trends

At least 126 organised criminal gangs are operating within Nairobi.

Nairobi Regional Commissioner Gilbert Kitiyo has said the government managed to point out the gangs following an extensive intelligence-led mapping exercise.

According to Kitiyo, the gangs were uncovered through a targeted programme focusing on organised crime and emerging security threats.

The security boss, while speaking on Radio Generation, said the authorities had already moved from intelligence gathering to enforcement, with arrests ongoing across the city.

“When it comes to organised crime, these are criminals who use all manner of tricks and ways to reach out to people,” Kitiyo said.

“In Nairobi, we have recorded almost 126 criminal gangs using various names.”

According to the regional commissioner, the gangs operate in defined zones across the city and rely on structured leadership, communication networks, and social spaces to recruit and coordinate criminal activity.

He said security agencies have undertaken detailed profiling of the groups, including identifying their leaders, operational areas, and methods.

“What we normally do is very clear mapping where we identify those groups and even gang leaders, their telephone numbers, where they operate, and how they operate, and then we take care of them,” Kitiyo said.

The mapping exercise is part of a broader government initiative launched on October 15 this year under the Rapid Results Initiative (RRI) on insecurity and organised crime.

Kitiyo said the programme was designed to deliver quick, measurable gains in the fight against criminal networks through coordinated, multi-agency action.

“On October 15 this year, we launched a programme called RRI on insecurity and organised crime,” he said.

“We did the mapping to understand these groups, and that’s how we came up with the 126 groups.”

Following the intelligence phase, the operation has shifted to targeted enforcement.

Kitiyo said security agencies are now focusing on individual gang members and leaders, leading to a series of arrests in recent weeks.

“Now we are targeting individuals, and so many of them have been arrested, and we continue arresting them even now,” he said.

The RRI approach, according to the commissioner, goes beyond gang arrests to address enablers of crime within communities.

Kitiyo said authorities identified specific locations commonly used by criminal groups to plan, recruit, and hide from law enforcement.

“With that RRI, there are a number of things we were focusing on, including criminal gangs, cartels, illicit brew dens,” he said, adding that many gang members “hang around there.”

Pool tables and informal entertainment joints were also flagged as key congregation points used by criminal elements to coordinate activities and recruit young people into gangs.

Kitiyo said security teams have intensified patrols, inspections, and crackdowns in such locations as part of the wider operation.

Jukwaa la Usalama Report

The revelation comes days after a new security brief delivered to President William Ruto exposed a chilling reality: Kenya is facing an unprecedented surge in gang activity, with Nairobi alone hosting more than 130 active criminal groups, making it the country’s biggest breeding ground for organised crime.

The explosive Jukwaa la Usalama Report, compiled by security experts and intelligence analysts, paints a grim picture of a country where gangs, some barely known to the public, are tightening their grip on neighbourhoods, youth, politics, and even land ownership.

According to the report, Nairobi is now the epicentre of the crisis, with over 130 gangs involved in everything from petty extortion to political violence, kidnappings, murder, and election-related mercenary work.

“Some of the gangs are structured and highly organised, while others are amorphous groups that regroup only when hired for assignments,” the report states.

Among those listed are:

  • Jeshi Jinga
  • 42 Brothers
  • M23
  • Kapenguria Six
  • Usiku Sacco

These gangs operate across estates such as Kibera, Dandora, Mathare, Kayole, and Mukuru, often controlling entire zones through fear and brutality.

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A National Crisis Demanding Urgent Action The report calls for the government to urgently scale up multi-agency crackdowns, community policing, rehabilitative programs, and political accountability, noting that criminal gangs pose a direct threat to: National security Social stability Economic growth The integrity of elections Security experts are urging the public to remain alert, noting that many gangs are now recruiting minors and using digital platforms to coordinate operations. As the spotlight turns to Nairobi and the affected counties, Kenya confronts a stark reality: criminal networks are evolving faster than the systems designed to stop them. And unless swift, coordinated action is taken, these gangs — from Jeshi Jinga and 42 Brothers to Team Mashamba and Gaza — may soon wield influence rivaling that of legitimate institutions.
Crime & Investigations

Revealed: Over 130 Gangs Now Running Nairobi — Inside Kenya’s Explosive Criminal Underworld

by Daily Trends
written by Daily Trends

A new security brief delivered to President William Ruto has exposed a chilling reality: Kenya is facing an unprecedented surge in gang activity, with Nairobi alone hosting more than 130 active criminal groups, making it the country’s biggest breeding ground for organised crime.

The explosive Jukwaa la Usalama Report, compiled by security experts and intelligence analysts, paints a grim picture of a country where gangs, some barely known to the public, are tightening their grip on neighbourhoods, youth, politics, and even land ownership.

President William Ruto and other security leaders display the explosive Jukwaa la Usalama Report, compiled by security experts and intelligence analysts. PHOTO/@kipmurkomen/X

Nairobi: Kenya’s Gang Capital

According to the report, Nairobi is now the epicentre of the crisis, with over 130 gangs involved in everything from petty extortion to political violence, kidnappings, murder, and election-related mercenary work.

“Some of the gangs are structured and highly organised, while others are amorphous groups that regroup only when hired for assignments,” the report states.

Among those listed are:

  • Jeshi Jinga
  • 42 Brothers
  • M23
  • Kapenguria Six
  • Usiku Sacco

These gangs operate across estates such as Kibera, Dandora, Mathare, Kayole, and Mukuru, often controlling entire zones through fear and brutality.

Crisis Spreads Beyond the Capital

The report warns that gang activity has become a national problem, with the highest concentrations outside Nairobi found in:

  • Kakamega
  • Busia
  • Bungoma
  • Vihiga
  • Kisii
  • Kisumu
  • Homa Bay
  • Tana River
  • Trans Nzoia
  • Mombasa
  • Murang’a
  • Machakos

These gangs, often formed in response to political rivalry, unemployment, and weak social institutions, now influence everything from local elections to land ownership.

In Nakuru, the notorious Confirm and Watizeti gangs remain entrenched in Kivumbini, Bondeni, and Rhonda.

At the Coast, once-infamous groups like Panga Boys have weakened — thanks to rehabilitation and police crackdowns — but newer outfits continue to emerge, especially in Kilifi and Mombasa.

Land Invasion Gangs Rising Fast

One of the most alarming findings is the reemergence of violent land invasion groups.

  • In Machakos, gangs linked to Gaza and remnants of Mungiki are reportedly being used to invade private land and seize mining sites.
  • In Kilifi and Mombasa, groups like Team Mashamba and Mawoza have become the go-to foot soldiers for well-connected land grabbers.

These invasions have left homeowners terrified, businesses displaced, and government institutions unable to access their own land.

Political Gangs Ramping Up Violence

The report warns that with political temperatures rising ahead of future elections, gangs are being courted as tools for:

  • Violent disruptions of rallies
  • Intimidation of communities
  • Enforcement of political loyalty
  • Targeted attacks on rivals

Security analysts note that many of these groups “hibernate” until election periods, when they are reactivated for hire.

Arrests Not Enough — Criminals Keep Returning

Despite frequent arrests, the report paints a worrying trend of recidivism, where gang members return to crime shortly after being released — helped by weak community support systems and lucrative criminal enterprises.

However, intensified intelligence operations have disrupted some networks, and rehabilitation programs at the Coast have shown promise.

A National Crisis Demanding Urgent Action

The report calls for the government to urgently scale up multi-agency crackdowns, community policing, rehabilitative programs, and political accountability, noting that criminal gangs pose a direct threat to:

  • National security
  • Social stability
  • Economic growth
  • The integrity of elections

Security experts are urging the public to remain alert, noting that many gangs are now recruiting minors and using digital platforms to coordinate operations.

As the spotlight turns to Nairobi and the affected counties, Kenya confronts a stark reality: criminal networks are evolving faster than the systems designed to stop them.

And unless swift, coordinated action is taken, these gangs — from Jeshi Jinga and 42 Brothers to Team Mashamba and Gaza — may soon wield influence rivaling that of legitimate institutions.

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Crime & Investigations

Drama As DCI Sleuths Arrest Mastermind of City Gang Targeting MPesa Shops

by Daily Trends
written by Daily Trends

John Mutiso Makau alias Katitu, the mastermind of a criminal gang targeting Mpesa shops in Nairobi was Monday arrested after a dramatic chase in Nairobi’s Kayole estate, pitting DCI detectives from the elite Crime Research and Intelligence Bureau.

The arrest came after a 48-hour operation.

Prior to his arrest, the DCI detectives had rounded up two of his accomplices Brian Wambua Mbindyo and Danson Musyoka Mulee.

According to DCI, Katitu was arrested after a 3-Kilometre chase.

Trouble for the thugs started when the headquarters’ based sleuths gathered sufficient actionable intelligence regarding their whereabouts, following the gruesome killing of a man who was shot at four times in broad daylight, seconds after walking out of a bank in Donholm, on October 31, 2022.

Donholm’s Family bank shooting

In the incident that attracted countrywide attention, the gun toting thugs had pumped four bullets into Nicodemus Mbuvi Munyasya, who was walking out of Donholm’s Family bank carrying a carrier bag, killing him on the spot.

The 38-year-old accounts clerk at extra paints manufacturing limited had deposited a cheque in the bank and was walking out carrying two disposable cups in the carrier bag.

Immediately he stepped out of the banking hall, two thugs on a motorbike accosted him and a scuffle ensued as the thugs snatched the bag from Munyasia, assuming that it contained a wad of cash.

When Munyasia resisted, he was shot at four times, three times on his legs and once in his chest by the fleeing thugs.

Forensic Crime Scene detectives recovered one spent cartridge and one bullet head at the scene.

Umoja Estate shooting

Three days before the incident, the suspects had accosted a woman as she left her Mpesa shop in Umoja estate, and shot her on the ankle before taking possession of her handbag which contained an unspecified amount of money.

Regina Chege, was approaching the gate to her house at around 9:30pm when the thugs on a motorbike struck.

This incident was similar to one reported at Embakasi police station on October 19, where one Dennis Musyoki and his wife who operates an Mpesa outlet were attacked at gun point as they walked home.

Ongata Rongai robbery

In yet another incident involving the armed miscreant gang, a retired managing director of Coast Development Authority, had been accosted at the gate to his compound in April, this year.

James Kahindi, was parking his vehicle at his home in Gataka, Ongata Rongai when, when two men opened the doors to his vehicle, a Toyota hilux.

Kahindi, a licensed firearm holder reached for his ceska pistol and fired two shots in the air, as the terrified thugs scampered for dear life.

During the incident, the thugs shot at Kahindi’s househelp who was rushed to Nairobi Women’s hospital in stable condition.

Preliminary findings from the Forensic Ballistic Unit based at the DCI National Forensic Laboratory, established that the firearm used in all the four incidents was similar.

The detectives also established that one of the main suspect’s accomplice Danson Musyoka, had a past criminal record and had been involved in various bank heists before going under.

Musyoka had recently sneaked back to the city where he teamed up with Katitu and Mbindyo to terrorize city residents.

In the ongoing investigations into the activities of the nefarious gang, last night detectives recovered 18 rounds of 9mm calibre from Katitu’s house in Fedha estate.

An operation to arrest the fourth accomplice only identified as Willie or Ibrah also a returnee from Somalia, is currently underway.

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