Street boys took to the streets Thursday after a police officer allegedly gunned down one of their colleagues at Globe Cinema roundabout.
The street children broke the Boxing Day calm in Nairobi as they engaged the police in running battles.
They stoned police vehicles, claiming that the police were targeting them.
“We are helpless that is why they are killing us,” claimed Samuel Macharia.
“The police who killed our friend is known as ‘murderer’. He shot him eight times without provocation,” he claimed.
Nairobi Central Police Commander, Patrick Oduma stated that the police were rescuing a civilian in the early morning incident when the street boy attacked them with a toy pistol.
“We have been getting complains from members of the public about that area especially when there are traffic jams. This escalating crime is primarily being caused by the presence of the street boys in the area,”
Mr Oduma put the street boys on notice, stating that they must leave the area.
“They attacked our vehicles but we have managed to disperse them,” he added.
While the police claim that the street kids earn their living primarily from robbing civilians, they claimed that they make a hard-earned living from combing through rubbish.
“I came to Nairobi to hustle, and I pick empty bottles and sell them to earn a living,” Macharia said.
GANGS IN THE CITY
Mr Oduma, however, countered that they had formed gangs operating in the city and the only solution was to dismantle them.
Only recently, police gunned down seven criminals in Nairobi area in an effort to contain violent crime surge in the city.
Inspector General David Kimaiyo earlier indicated that he would deploy undercover police on the streets, at churches and other public places like shopping malls during the festive season.-nation.co.ke
