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No major crime incident in Nairobi since curfew - Police

Those arrested while loitering released on cash bail.

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by PATRICK VIDIJA

News29 March 2020 - 11:59
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In Summary


  • • The dusk-to- dawn curfew running from 7pm to 5am has seen many Nairobi residents drastically cut on night life.
Empty streets iin Nairobi on Sunday, March 29, 2020.

Nairobi has not reported any major crime incident during the curfew period, county regional commander Philip Ndolo has said.

This is attributed to the fact that police are on high alert.

However, one murder was reported before the curfew.

"We have not had any major incidences so far. Our officers on patrol however have arrested several people who were still loitering within the stipulated curfew time," he said.

Ndolo on Sunday said those who were arrested both on Friday and Saturday night were released on a cash bail of between Sh2,000 and Sh5,000.

"Currently we are under directives not to keep anyone in police cells, we do not want to take that risk by holding anyone unless it is a serious crime and police think releasing the suspect might pose more danger," he said.

He said the only challenge officers have had to encounter is controlling residents in their estates.

While many kept off the road to avoid police, they were still having gatherings in their respective estates.

"We only had a small incidence of violence in Kibra where the residents lit bone fires using tyres to try disrupt operations but reinforcement was deployed and the situation was swiftly contained," Ndolo said.

"We continue to appeal to our residents to adhere to the curfew deadlines. Let them run their errands during the day but as we near 5pm, they should be moving to their homes," he said.

The dusk-to- dawn curfew running from 7pm to 5am has seen many Nairobi residents drastically cut on night life.

In many areas within the city, night life starts on Friday evenings and would run through to Sunday.

But officers on patrol told the Star, though many had opted to stay in doors, there are those who opted to enjoy themselves within premises.

This, the police said, could be the reason many crime incidences have reduced.

"We would like the curfew to continue, even when coronavirus becomes a thing of the past. We can now easily detect an incident because the night is silent compared to other times when the city is full of noise," one of the officers said.

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