Residents of Nairobi’s Eastlands area were forced to settle into their houses early on Saturday night for fear of being mugged following a major power outage in the capital.
The blackout was reported in most counties including Nairobi, Nyamira, Kajiado, Kakamega, Siaya, Kiambu and Meru.
According to some of the residents of Nairobi, a group of criminals took advantage of the blackout to harass pedestrians walking to the shops or going about their duties just after sunset.
In one incident, a local university student had his mobile phone forcefully taken away from him by three man around 7:30pm in Nyando area of Kayole, in Embakasi.
“The men blocked my way, and demanded I hand over my phone. People just looked as I was getting robbed,” said the student.
Most shops in the estates closed as early as 6:45pm for fear of being targeted by criminals operating under the cover of darkness.
Donald Otieno – a resident of Umoja – told Wananchi Reporting that he was mugged as he was walking home from watching a football match.
“I saw these four people walking towards me, and I thought they were just people coming from watching football.
“On reaching them, one of them grabbed me by the neck, while the others ransacked my pockets. They took away my mobile phone and Sh1,200 I had on me,” said Donald.
“I thank God they did not hurt me,” added Donald.
The blackout affected many parts of Nairobi, plunging the estates into darkness.
Residents are asking the county government to install solar-powered streetlights to enhance security – and mitigate during blackouts.
