Inside Sakaja's war against vandals preying on city metallic infrastructure

Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja has said it may take the creation of a county policing entity to confront sustained vandalism of public infrastructure in the city, including recently installed garbage bins, street metal bars and electric assets.

This is part of a robust strategy to combat escalating destruction of property that has grown so brazen as to include theft of power from Kenya Power lines, hence interrupting the functioning of street lights and heightening insecurity.

Speaking at City Hall on Monday, the governor announced a sweeping crackdown on what he called a criminal enterprise undermining public safety and essential services.

“Vandalism of public infrastructure is criminal and deserves the harshest punishment,” he said. “These are services paid for by citizens, and we must all be vigilant to protect them.”

Sakaja’s administration had recently installed stronger street garbage bins, but they have been vandalised by unknown persons, sabotaging the county’s efforts at ensuring a clean city.

Most were vandalised during the July 7 protest.

Sakaja had also urged that harsher legal punishment should be reserved for vandals who target key infrastructures like street lighting, metallic poles, water pipes and other materials.

This week, he led a multi-agency operation that busted and dismantled an illegal electricity supply hub operating near the Archives area, exposing a coordinated network of power theft and infrastructure sabotage that city officials say is threatening public safety and crippling essential services.

The illicit connection point had been secretly drawing electricity from Kenya Power lines and reselling it to traders. 

Investigators say the illegal setup not only compromised power supply but also disrupted the city's street lighting and disabled security cameras—factors now being directly linked to rising crime in the city centre.

Sakaja described the situation as deliberate sabotage.

The discovery comes after weeks of unexplained darkness across key areas of the CBD, including Moi Avenue, Kenyatta Avenue, the Tom Mboya Monument and the busy Mama Ngina–Moi Avenue junction. 

Businesses and pedestrians have reported increased insecurity, with pedestrians and shop owners falling victim to petty crime in poorly lit zones.

According to city officials, only one phase of power remains operational at some major intersections—a situation they warn could trigger a complete blackout if left unaddressed.

Critical installations near the Tom Mboya monument, which power areas like Kencom and Ambassador, were found to be vandalised. 

Authorities also believe that individuals linked to the illegal setup had effectively taken over the supply of electricity in some areas.

The main suspect behind the operation is currently on the run and a manhunt is underway.

However, several arrests were made over the weekend as part of a coordinated effort involving the Nairobi County Government, Kenya Power and the National Police Service.

Sakaja announced a robust recovery programme to address the crisis. The initiative includes securing and monitoring power connection points, fast-tracking the repair and replacement of damaged streetlights and deploying armed escorts to accompany utility workers in high-risk zones.

The county has also begun engaging local traders in surveillance efforts and has launched public awareness campaigns to educate residents on the impact of infrastructure vandalism.

“We are calling on the business community to stand with us,” Sakaja said. 

“Installing CCTV and sharing intelligence will help us identify and neutralise offenders more swiftly.”

The governor is also pushing for more support from the national government to sustain the ongoing urban recovery programme. 

Without immediate financial and logistical backing, officials warn, the situation could deteriorate further.

Nairobi regional commissioner Gilbert Kitiyo echoed Sakaja’s concerns, stating that while the security situation in the CBD had improved, more needed to be done to curb vandalism and restore order.

“Let us not entertain people siphoning power and destroying public infrastructure,” Kitiyo said, adding that better coordination of street lighting, hawkers and boda boda operations was key to improving security.