The rise in mobile phone mugging has seen police release the hotspots where the crime occurred in the city over the past two years.
The areas mirror those the National Police Service and the National Crime and Research Centre have listed in the past for various crimes including mugging and robbery.
The following areas are common for mugging and murder crimes:
The area between Wilson Airport and South C, the area close to Oilibya Petrol Station in the Mathare Slum area, Kware in Rongai, Kajiado, Limuru road stretch between town and the Nakuru Highway is listed as common for carjacking and mugging.
Kisumu Ndogo area in Athi River is notorious for murder crimes and mugging, Kosovo in Athi River is known for robbery and mugging and the Congo area near Kawangware is common for drug trafficking, rape, and mugging.
Others are the matatu stage near Bunyala Road and Likoni bridge along Likoni Road, both in the Industrial area, where suspects hide under the bridge and attack lone pedestrians.
Nyayo Stadium Flyover, and the area near the former Taj Mall underpass along the Southern Bypass are other hotspots .
You are also likely to be mugged along KenCom Bus Station, Kimathi Street, River Road, Temple Road, Race Course Road, Hakati Road, Railways Terminus along Haile Selassie Avenue and Moi Avenue from 4am to 6am and over the evening rush hours between 7 pm to 11 pm.
In November last year, a crackdown on muggers netted 16 young men armed with 37 kitchen knives, a toy pistol, three pangas, six scissors, and two hammers hiding in a makeshift hideout along Southern bypass.
Nairobi Police Commander Adamson Bungei said the suspects were arrested after a crackdown was launched targeting muggers along the area, following endless complaints from members of the public.
The crackdown followed the government’s declaration of an all-out war on mugging gangs in the city and other major towns.
“We have witnessed increasing criminal activities involving small groups of criminals armed with knives and other weapons who are terrorising the citizens of this city and a few other urban areas,” Interior CS Prof Kithure Kindiki said at the time.
An action plan was drafted against the rising mugging cases and a new command structure that encompasses officers from the national government administration was set up to mitigate against further incidents, leading to a lull in their attacks.
“These boys who have dared the government and want to tell us they can take over the city and make it a centreof crime, we have heard you and we are coming effective immediately,” Prof Kindiki warned at the time.
Other notorious crime hotspots in Nairobi include Githurai Congo, Kamae, Kwale, Jua Kali, Kahawa West, Kangemi flyover, Juja road, Kiamaiko Area One in Mathare, Mathare bridge, Colping Church Area, Santon in Kasarani, Huruma, Koja, Mathare,Grogan, Korogocho, Airforce Stage, Githurai roundabout and Laini Saba,Lindi and Kwa Reli in Kibra.