Hotspot For Killer Bodaboda Thugs With Nairobi's Longest Footbridge

A doctor at Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH) flagged a supermarket at the Allsops matatu stage along Thika Road among six major areas whereby mugging cases in Nairobi and its environs leading to stabbing by thugs have been the most frequent.

In a viral Facebook post on Tuesday, November 8, Dr Lilian Munyua noted that she has been receiving patients who have been victims of stabbing cases from muggings across the city.

"If you have family or close friends coming to Nairobi or residing here, please advise them appropriately. These past two weeks have not been easy at work. We are receiving an average of 4-7 cases of stabbing daily from muggings around the city.

"I have helplessly watched young and old, men and women, breathe their last while trying to save them. Some are in ICU while others have survived but with lifelong injuries," she wrote.

An image of National Archives in Nairobi. /FACEBOOK.LILIAN MUNYUA

She listed areas such as Drive-In Flyover up to KCA University, KCA Underpass and Total exit, Globe roundabout and Kipande Road as some of the hotspots where victims have been accosted and injured by the armed criminals.

Others include ABC Place and Kangemi along Waiyaki Way and the Central Business District (Archives), River Road and Fig Tree area as well as around Kenya Broadcasting Corporation (KBC) Offices.

"Please note these killer thugs are stealing in broad daylight. If you resist they will stab or shoot you without a second thought. Advise your friends and family to avoid walking alone or getting late in these places.

"If you're carrying a laptop in a backpack, you remain a target, be sure you will lose it or lose your life in these places," she warned, adding that the culprits are becoming bolder by the day as the December holidays draw closer.

Dr Munyua further advised residents to be wary even as she urged the government to address the matter urgently.

No Streetlights

Viral Tea paid a fact-finding visit to the Allsops stage on Tuesday evening, which now has a footbridge which can be described as the longest in the city, serving Thika Road and Outering Roads. So huge is the structure that a resident once equated it to "forty footbridges put together to tire pedestrians using it".

One peculiar issue that we found is that the whole area surrounding the footbridge has no streetlights. In comparison, the footbridges along Thika Road are well-lit every night.

The lack of proper lighting even on the bridge itself makes crossing it almost a worry, especially during the night hours. To be specific, we observed a section of pedestrians daringly cross the busy road, which was ranked as one of the most unsafe in the world during the United Nations (UN) meeting on Global Road Safety held in New York on July 5, 2022.

Reviews on the structure on Google offer a picture of the situation on the bridge, with a section of Kenyans urging the government to work on the finishing touches to ensure that pedestrians cross it safely.

Githua's family revealed on Sunday, November 6 that the assailants, after they stole his phone, had continued to use it days after the crime, oblivious of the potential consequences especially after police called the number.

The family further noted that the thugs dared the police to come after them when a cop from the Muthaiga Police station, where they had reported the case dialled the victim's mobile number.

"When one of the police officers called the line, he found that it was on. One of the thieves picked up and said, "yes, it is us, what are you going to do about it? (mtado?)," one relative stated.

The family accused the police of being laxative in investigating the murder, saying they should have tracked down the number to the killers after the call.

The family of Keagan Githua, 24, who was stabbed to death by robbers riding on a motorbike on Sunday, October 30. /MPASHO