Several women, including one carrying a child, are seen running out of the salon as the robbery was underway.
Kenyans have demanded urgent action from security agencies after an alleged armed robbery at a salon in Nairobi's Saika estate went viral, sparking renewed fears over rising violent crime in the city.
Concern has emerged over armed robberies in Nairobi after CCTV footage showing an alleged daytime robbery at a hair salon in Saika surfaced online over the weekend.
Two armed men raided a women’s chama meeting in Nairobi’s Saika estate and escaped with cash and a mobile phone.
The robbery occurred at about 3 pm on Sunday, July 26, at a salon, where members of the Queen’s Women Chama had gathered for their routine fortnightly meeting.
The authenticity of the footage and the circumstances surrounding the incident could not immediately be independently verified.
The footage shows two men walking into the salon and calmly greeting a group of women before one of them pulls out a pistol, cocks it and orders the women to surrender their mobile phones.
“Nyamaza kaa chini (shut up, sit down),” the gunman is heard saying as the women begin screaming.
"Leta simu (bring your phones)," he gives the order.
The second man, who is wearing a helmet, appears to flee first as the screams intensify.
Several women, including one carrying a child, are seen running out of the salon.
The clip sparked debate online, with some users saying the incident was unusual for an area they considered relatively secure.
“Saika has been a safe haven for many years and this is disturbing. Action needs to be taken,” one user said.
Others called on the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) and the National Police Service (NPS) to investigate the incident and address concerns over armed crime.
“DCI and NPS, don't you care about your country anymore? It's not too late to actually start doing the right thing and save Kenya from going downhill coz of thugs and goons. Bring back security sanity,” another user said.
“The ship sinks from a thousand tiny leaks. Ignoring minor inefficiencies in our security system is sliding into lawlessness and impunity — that's a recipe for anarchy! If not nipped, it will compound into a structural failure at scale,” another said.
Similarity with Parklands robbery
Some users drew parallels between the Saika incident and an armed robbery at Chaiiwali Café along General Mathenge Road in the Westlands/Parklands area of Nairobi on July 4.
CCTV captured four armed men arriving on two motorcycles and storming the café’s outdoor dining area.
Two of the suspects initially entered pretending to be customers before drawing pistols and ordering diners to surrender their mobile phones and electronic devices.
Police said seven mobile phones and an HP laptop were stolen during the raid, which occurred at about 10.35 pm.
The robbery lasted less than a minute before the suspects fired two shots into the air and fled towards Parklands, according to police.
Police and the DCI launched investigations and later arrested several suspects in connection with the robbery.
On July 13, police shot dead a man in Joska who was suspected of being a key suspect in the Parklands robbery.
Detectives had reportedly traced him to his girlfriend’s house. Police said he defied orders to surrender, drew a pistol and opened fire at officers, prompting them to return fire.
Calls for action
The latest incident has renewed concerns among some Nairobi residents over the availability of illegal firearms and the use of motorcycles in robberies.
Some residents said criminals in parts of Kayole, Saika, Njiru and Maili Saba appeared to be exploiting motorcycles to flee quickly from crime scenes.
They called on security agencies to intensify efforts to dismantle criminal networks, recover illegal firearms and improve response to reported robberies.
“The goons are slowly morphing into dangerous gangs and ruthless robbers, posing a growing threat to public safety. If left unchecked, this trend could have serious consequences for our communities,” one user said.
“DCI, NPS, this is becoming so rampant. Where are these criminals getting guns from? Citizens are no longer safe,” another said.
Residents also expressed concern that ordinary activities such as visiting a salon, shop, market or other public places are now increasingly becoming unsafe as they expose people to armed criminals.
“Our security agencies should remain focused on dismantling criminal networks, recovering illegal weapons and protecting citizens. Public safety must never take a back seat. No Kenyan should have to wonder whether walking into a salon, shop or business could end with a gun pointed at them,” an area resident said.
