Nairobi's Central Business District (CBD) and surrounding areas are currently experiencing a significant surge in insecurity, leading to widespread public outcry and demands for immediate action from authorities. Citizens, particularly on social media platforms like X (formerly Twitter), Facebook, and Instagram, have been sharing harrowing personal stories of daylight muggings, phone snatchings, violent robberies, and even physical assaults. This wave of criminal activity has left many residents feeling vulnerable and frustrated, prompting a collective call for a more visible and effective police presence.

The reports detail a consistent pattern: criminals often operate in groups, specifically targeting pedestrians during rush hour. Disturbingly, new tactics have emerged, with gangs — sometimes comprising 20 to 30 youths — reportedly using human waste as a threat to coerce victims into surrendering their belongings. Another ploy involves criminals disguising themselves as content creators filming for social media, aiming to disarm unsuspecting targets. Hotspots identified by victims and shared online include National Archives, Kenyatta Avenue, the junction of Moi Avenue and Mama Ngina Street, Railways-Moi Avenue junction, sections of River-Road and Landhies Road, Parliament Road, and dimly lit alleys along Kimathi and Biashara Street. Beyond the CBD, areas like Odeon, Koja (Fire Station), Tom Mboya Street to Afya Centre, City Hall area, Murang’a Road (Desai to Globe), Kipande Road (towards the Museum), Wangari Maathai Road (towards Museums roundabout), and Haile Selassie Avenue (to the National Library) are also flagged as high-risk zones, particularly after 6 PM. Moreover, other neighborhoods like Eastleigh, Dandora, Kayole, Kawangware, Runda, Kileleshwa, Mathare, Kibera, and Korogocho have also reported spikes in various crimes.

The public's demands for accountability from law enforcement have grown louder, with hashtags related to Nairobi security trending online. Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja has acknowledged these concerns, holding meetings with top security officials to strategize on curbing criminal activities and restoring public confidence. His office has affirmed intensified police patrols and measures to protect citizens and businesses. Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen has also directed security agencies to intensify operations against criminal gangs, emphasizing that policing everyday crimes like theft and muggings is a direct responsibility of local OCS and officers. Murkomen noted that many perpetrators, while appearing as street children, are adults armed with knives, working in coordinated groups, and warned that age would not shield offenders from prosecution. A major operation in the city center and downtown areas has already led to the arrest of over ten suspects.

Several theories attempt to explain the rise in crime. Celebrity chef and digital creator Dennis Ombachi, known as The Roaming Chef, posited that the insecurity is not random but linked to political dynamics, suggesting it stems from