Walking through Nairobi’s CBD is increasingly coming with an unwritten checklist.
Keep the phone away. Remove the earphones. Hold the bag close. Avoid standing still while checking directions. Where possible, walk with someone else.
These habits are emerging as videos and reports of phone snatching and street crime circulate online.
One recent incident involved two men on a motorcycle who allegedly snatched a woman’s phone along Thika Superhighway near Muthaiga Police Station.
Social media personality Brian Mwenda said he joined a chase after the incident and later offered KSh50,000 for information that could help identify the suspects.
“I will pay KSh50,000 for information that will help us catch them.”
Why phones are a major concern
For many Nairobi residents, a smartphone is more than a communication device. It contains mobile-money accounts, banking apps, work files, photographs, social media accounts and private conversations.
Losing one can therefore disrupt someone's finances, work and access to important information.
Police operations have also pointed to organized phone theft.
In January, the Directorate of Criminal Investigations said detectives recovered more than 900 suspected stolen phones from two people linked to an alleged phone-theft syndicate in Nairobi CBD.
The DCI said preliminary investigations pointed to a wider network involved in stealing phones and moving them across borders.
Murkomen addresses ‘goon crisis’
The concerns come as Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen rejected claims that Kenya is facing a national “goon crisis”.
Murkomen said Kenya remained safe and argued that describing the situation as a national crisis was an exaggeration.
His remarks were made in the context of political violence and alleged mobilization of youths, rather than ordinary street theft.
However, the comments have added to wider conversations about security.
Technology joins the survival rules
Some Nairobi residents are also turning to technology for an extra layer of protection. Emergency applications can provide SOS buttons, live location sharing and journey monitoring while some people are also discussing personal security devices such as alarms and, in some cases, stun guns or Tasers.
Smartphone users can also activate features such as Find My Device, location sharing, screen locks and biometric authentication.
The aim is not to confront suspected thieves but to improve the chances of getting help and protecting personal information if a phone is stolen.
As conversations around street crime and security continue, Nairobians are creating their own informal ‘CBD survival rules’ — simple changes they believe can help them move through the city more safely.
