How Eastleigh's commitment to security turned it from 'no-go zone' to safe haven

On January 18, German ambassador to Kenya Sebastian Groth visited Eastleigh unaccompanied by visibly armed escort as would be expected of a person of his standing.

During the visit, the ambassador walked on First Avenue and other streets, mingling with the locals and business people, some of whom may not have immediately established who he was. He even took time to enjoy a local delicacy.

Such a visit would have been unthinkable a few years ago when Eastleigh was viewed as a hotbed of criminal activities, including daylight robberies and muggings.

“I feel very safe here. I do not need any kind of security,” Groth said, dispelling fears of insecurity in the area he described as the "boom town of Nairobi" and “an area that has undergone many positive transformations over the years”.

For many Kenyans, this reality is yet to sink in. The idea that one can visit the neighbourhood covering Eastleigh North, Air Base, Eastleigh South, California, and Kiambiu just for a stroll or to see how life is on this side of Nairobi often doesn’t come up.

This is mainly because of the perception among many that the high traffic of people and vehicles that enter Eastleigh during the day breeds insecurity.

Others have been scared off by the multiple security alerts issued by Western countries that almost always list Eastleigh among the most dangerous places in Nairobi, warning their citizens to reconsider their travels.

However, Eastleigh is emerging as one of the safest locations in Nairobi where you are unlikely to get mugged and your items snatched by thugs either at night or during the day.

Close engagements

Eastleigh Business District Association Chairperson Ahmed Yare told The Eastleigh Voice that the positive change came about after a series of meetings that resulted in a decision to have the community leadership engage closely with the sub-county security committee.

"Initially, we used to link up with the regional security committee but after lowering our engagement to the sub-county security level, we saw some change. We forged a united front that involved all stakeholders," said Ahmed.

He said that unlike in the past, the community now feels obligated to apprehend and denounce anyone who violates the law.

The Eastleigh Voice conducted multiple interviews with boda boda riders, business people, taxi drivers, the police, and residents to find out what changed and made the neighbourhood safer than in the past.

A walk on most streets of Eastleigh at night will not have you robbed at gunpoint or force you to rush for fear of being attacked by thugs.

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“Eastleigh has changed from what it was a few years ago when crime, violence, and riots were the norm. It is littered with police officers and the dominant community will not allow crime to thrive,” Daniel Onyango, a boda boda rider told me.

Onyango said those who understand that the dynamics changed are even choosing to settle in Eastleigh, hence the booming construction of rental apartments.

“We see an apartment come up and within a short time, it's filled with tenants,” he said.

According to the 2019 population census, Eastleigh has an estimated night population of 348,778.

During the day, observers claim the numbers go up to half the population of Nairobi (Nairobi’s population is roughly five million), courtesy of the thriving business environment and an influx of residents of neighbouring counties and the region.

“If you look closely at who the customer attendants are, you may assume that some are Luhya’s from Western Kenya – and some are – but others are Turkanas and Bukusus from Uganda,” said Ernest Joshua, a boda boda rider.

The neighbourhood hosts Somalis, other Kenyan communities, Ethiopians, Ugandans, Rwandans, and South Sudanese.

“Some of these are the people you will find walking leisurely in the evening carrying radios. Eastleigh is a 24-hour economy,” said another rider.

Police stations

Eastleigh is also surrounded by police stations, including Pangani Police Station, Eastleigh North Police Station, Eastleigh Airbase Administration Police Camp, California Police Post and Moi Air Base, a military airport.

Residents told The Eastleigh Voice that the presence of uniformed and plain-clothed police officers in the area has increased significantly, thereby curbing crime.

I noticed this while on my fact-finding mission: I saw an officer on patrol at every busy and densely crowded intersection of Eastleigh's 12 streets. To secure their property, some mall owners have also recruited police officers.

The dominant Somali community has also played a key role in boosting security in Eastleigh.

“What I have seen and admired is their sense of unity. This helps tame insecurity in the sense that when someone is attacked, they all rally to protect the victim. That way, thugs and pickpockets avoid committing a crime since they know they will either be beaten up by the locals or arrested by police officers,” said Joshua, the boda boda operator.

Such acts have seen cases of pickpockets and phone-snatching by the Super Power gang that was creeping back early last year reduce drastically.

"There were two types of crimes that had plagued Eastleigh: one is the Super Power gang that had caused so much pain to the community; two were rogue officers who would arbitrarily arrest young men and demand bribes for their release. The joint approach helped end these crimes," said Ahmed of the Eastleigh Business District Association.

Officers who spoke to The Eastleigh Voice on condition of anonymity because they are not permitted to speak to the media said that crime in the area had generally decreased.

Heightened patrols

“The cases you used to hear of people getting mugged at knife- or gun-point are no longer reported. Nowadays, most reported petty crimes such as stealing jewellery are reportedly perpetrated by non-resident domestic servants,” said one police officer.

Pangani Sub-County Criminal Investigations Officer David Cheruiyot confirmed that indeed insecurity in Eastleigh has reduced significantly over the last few years. He mainly attributes it to the community’s pro-activeness in stopping crime as well as heightened patrols by officers more so in areas marked as hotspots.

“Most locals stop a crime at the inception stage and hand over the suspect to the police, some are handled by officers on patrols within the area where the incident occurs before they even get to the station,” he said.

The multi-agency patrols are beefed up by officers from the Anti-Terror Police Unit and other agencies, some operating as undercover officers gathering criminal intelligence on any gangs forming or terror cells.

“Every station or police unit runs a criminal intelligence gathering unit that responds to crime and monitors the formation of gangs and their networks and this way, we can stop crime at the inception,” he adds.

The undercover operations have helped identify gang leaders who have in the past been arrested and arraigned in court thereby breaking off the network and reducing crime in return, this is how cases of phone snatching and mugging were stopped.

The patrols extend to an area near Mlango Kubwa that seems to be a magnet for foreigners from the neighbouring countries where phones snatched from people in Nairobi CBD were allegedly being deposited ahead of their smuggling to Uganda.

“We cannot stop them from coming into the country, as you know they don’t require visas to visit but we monitor their activities as a means to curb crime,” he adds.

The changing landscape of the area has in the recent past seen Eastleigh boom with mega construction projects, including the Business Bay Square (BBS) Mall that sits next to Eastleigh North Police Station, modern shopping malls, forex bureaus, and private hospitals.

The Eastleigh community is, however, concerned that an emerging cartel of people collecting money from matatus, protecting upcoming illegal stalls, and engaging in the sale of water may grow into something significant if not dealt with quickly.

"Eastleigh has no water. Water bowsers come every day but we've seen these cartels now enter the business and attempt to control the water sector. The other day, two members were stabbed while fighting for clients. This is of great concern to us. We want all government arms to come in and prevent it from developing into something nasty," Ahmed said.