Police in Nairobi have arrested a suspected robber and recovered a stolen mobile phone and a penknife following a robbery along General Waruinge Road in Starehe Sub-County.
In an X update on Monday, the National Police Service (NPS) said officers from Pangani Police Station responded to information about the robbery and launched an operation that led to the arrest of one of the fleeing suspects.
“Upon receiving information about the robbery, an undercover police team intervened immediately, pursued the fleeing suspects and intercepted one of them.”
A search of the suspect resulted in the recovery of a penknife and a Tecno Spark mobile phone belonging to the complainant.
Police said the victim positively identified the phone as the one stolen during the robbery.
“A search of the suspect led to the recovery of a penknife and the complainant's stolen Tecno Spark mobile phone, which the victim has since positively identified,” the NPS said.
The suspect was taken to Pangani Police Station, where he remains in custody as police complete investigations and prepare him for court.
“The suspect was placed in custody at Pangani Police Station pending processing and arraignment.”
The arrest comes against a backdrop of persistent crime in Nairobi, which continues to record one of the highest numbers of offences reported to police in Kenya.
Data from the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS) shows Nairobi City recorded 9,958 crimes reported to police in 2025, up from 9,717 in 2024 and 6,686 in 2021. Nationally, police recorded 96,038 crimes in 2025, compared with 101,220 in 2024.
The latest figures show that Nairobi accounted for more than 10 percent of all crimes reported nationally in 2025, although the KNBS figures cover all categories of crime and not robbery alone.
In 2024, Nairobi City recorded the highest share of reported crimes among police command stations, accounting for 9.6 percent of the national total.
Robbery remains a significant category in the national crime statistics. KNBS reported 3,642 robbery cases in 2024, down from 3,988 in 2023 but higher than the 2,384 cases recorded in 2020.
The latest operation also forms part of efforts to tackle criminal activity involving motorcycles, which it says have been used by criminals to terrorise residents.
“The National Police Service commends the officers' prompt action and assures the public of heightened patrols nationwide to flush out criminal elements who use motorcycles to terrorise residents,” the service said.
Police have urged residents to remain vigilant and promptly report criminal or suspicious activities to law enforcement agencies.
The NPS said members of the public can report incidents at the nearest police station or through the emergency numbers 999 and 911.
It also encouraged residents to provide information through the Fichua Kwa DCI initiative on 0800 722 203 or via WhatsApp on 0709 570 000.