Inside story of Kenya's killer gangs

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Saturday’s shooting of permanent secretary Kinuthia Murugu is the latest demonstration of a resurgence of gun crimes in the country, especially in Nairobi.

Other high-profile cases in the past week include the killing of a university lecturer and the shooting dead of three people in the city’s Eastlands, on suspicion of being police informers.

Prof Peter Kenya was shot dead on Wednesday night in Zimmerman estate as he frantically hooted. Earlier, a top police investigator in Nyeri, Jonah Nzau, was killed in an incident which has been linked to organised crime involving fellow officers.

Then there was the carjacking of Khwisero MP Evans Akula outside his house on Rhapta Road as he waited for his gate to be opened at 10.30 p.m. He was held hostage by the gangsters until 2.30 a.m. after being driven through city estates and being robbed.

The incidents have once again put the spotlight on the proliferation of illegal firearms, especially in Nairobi. Investigations by the Sunday Nation have found that illegal guns are easily available across the country. Their prices have dropped drastically.

Among the small arms, which can be hired on an hourly basis by crooks, include the Ceska pistol, Smith & Wesson pistol and AK47 rifle. Though admired by criminals for its lethal fire power, the G3 rifle is not popular because of its size but it is occasionally hired during major missions such as bank robberies.

One supplier in Eastleigh is reported to even offer grenades which criminals refer to as mahindi (maize). According to our investigations and interviews with some “reformed” gangsters, the cost ranges from Sh3,000 to Sh15,000 an hour for a Ceska pistol or AK47 rifle.

One can also hire the same for a day with the option of buying it. A bullet, christened msumari (nail), goes for Sh500.

The AK47 rifle comes in three versions -- wooden, plastic and metallic -- and goes for Sh15,000, Sh12,000 and Sh10,000 respectively. The wooden one is the most popular as it is said to be accurate and comfortable to handle. Bullets for an AK47 are priced at between Sh1,000 and Sh1,500 each.

The older models of pistols can be hired for less, as they are not considered as reliable as the Ceska, which is now a pistol of choice for police officers. Also on hire at Sh20,000 are bullet-proof vests usually snatched from security firms and police officers.

While Eastleigh and Dandora are the key areas where guns for hire are available, Kibera has joined the trade since the post-election violence. But our source said Kibera is not very popular for the business because the residents of the expansive slum “talk too much”.

According to our informers, who would not reveal their identities for fear that they would be targeted by police officers, urban crime has undergone major changes, with criminals elaborately plotting their moves.

“Police know where each of the gangs operate from, hence when an incident is reported they demand to know the number of thugs involved,” one source said. In cases where a substantial sum of money is involved, there is usually no shooting, as the criminals would rather plot with employees of banks, forex bureaux or supermarkets, our sources noted.

Bank heists involving a shoot-out are no longer popular in the criminal world.

Our source said they are aware police in plain clothes roam around banks and forex bureaux before they open, so raiding them is no longer advisable unless one is sure that they will pull off a major job.