Interior Cabinet Secretary Kithure Kindiki has put on notice criminal gangs terrorising Nairobi City residents saying the government will crash them.
In a powerful message to the small armed groups that have been mugging city dwellers, the new Interior CS left no doubt of the government's power.
Kindiki confirmed that there is a small group of criminals, armed with knives and other light weapons who are terrorisimg the residents of the city as well as a few other urban centres.
“Those boys who have dared the government, we have also heard you and therefore we are coming effective immediately,” Kindiki said.
Addressing his first major national security press briefing at the steps of the Office of the President, Kindiki said the state has already rolled out measures to curb the new wave of insecurity.
“We have taken measures to deal with the emerging crime trend in Nairobi,' he said.
The CS said, in response to the new wave of crime, the leadership and the command of the police has changed in the city, including deployment under a multi-agency response team.
“We will get these sons and daughters terrorisimg city residents out of the city and put them where criminals belong,” Kindiki said.
“You want to tell us that you can take over the city, and make it a city of crime, we have also heard you and therefore we are coming effective immediately."
The tough-talking CS said the government is committed to the security and safety of the nation as “security can not be compromised for anything, not even for votes."
“Some of these criminal activities will soon be taking a political dimension," he said.
At the same time, Kindiki denied claims that Police are on a go-slow saying such reports are untrue.
"Police don't go on go-slows. We understand that they work under difficult circumstances and we acknowledge that," he said.
The CS said the state will defend all police officers who use their firearms lawfully in accordance with the Police Standing Orders and the Constitution.
The announcement came just hours after Inspector General of Police Japhet Koome and Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja met over the county's security situation.
The IG and the Governor agreed to form the Nairobi County Policing Authority, which the National Police Service has allocations for.
"Once the authority is formed, it will be a game changer for security in the county," Koome said.
