Police Arrest Eight in Post-Protest Crackdown on Looting and Theft

Nairobi, Kenya – Kenyan police have reported a series of successful arrests in their ongoing crackdown on the looting and theft that occurred during last week’s anti-government protests. In Meru County, an intelligence-led operation resulted in the arrest of eight suspects in Igembe South Sub-County. The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) confirmed that they had recovered 63 bags of government-subsidized fertilizer and eight bags of cement that were stolen from a National Cereals and Produce Board depot during the unrest.

Authorities also seized a Toyota Probox station wagon and three motorcycles that are believed to have been used to transport the stolen goods. The DCI has reported that similar crackdowns in other parts of the country have led to dozens more arrests, with fourteen suspects being detained in Kilifi County for vandalizing public and private property, and two people being arrested in Mbeere South after police found a stolen water tank at a local market. In Nairobi, detectives intercepted a matatu that was suspected of ferrying rioters, recovering a cache of weapons, police uniforms, and other looted items from the vehicle. Four more individuals, including one who was caught on CCTV with a stolen firearm, were also taken into custody. The DCI has stated that all of the suspects will be charged once investigations are complete.