NAIROBI, Kenya, Dec 18 – Statistics compiled by the police force show that crime levels have dropped by a margin of four percent countrywide this year in what they attribute to a sustained war on the vice.
The statistics exclusively obtained by Capital News show that there were 57,198 cases reported this year compared to last year’s 59,379.
Police Commissioner Major General Mohammed Hussein Ali was due to officially release the statistics at an annual dinner party for the media at a Nairobi hotel on Thursday night.
The report seen by Capital News ranked Nairobi as the best improved province having recorded a 31 percent reduction in crime, followed by Rift Valley Province with 28 percent.
The police chief points out in the report that the reduction was a result of increased deployment of officers and sufficient intelligence collected by his officers.
Murder is listed as one of the serious crimes that recorded a sharp increase of 1,851 incidents this year as compared to last year’s 1,769.
Incidentally, the incidents include those committed during the post election period yet the report still reflects a decline in the number of people killed during the year.
The report by the Commission of Inquiry into the Post Election Violence (CIPEV) showed that 1300 people were killed between January and March alone, yet the police report states that only 1,851 murders were reported.
Going by the police report, it means therefore that murder cases arising from other incidents which include violent robberies were only about 500.
During the year under review, there were 2,727 offences against morality committed which includes rape and sodomy as compared to last year’s 3,500 incidents.
This, the report states, reflects a 22 per cent reduction.
There were 126 cases of corruption reported to the police during the year from last year’s 176, representing a 28 percent decline.
Assault which is listed in the report as ‘other offences against persons’ were 14,809 which represents a 12 percent decline as compared to last year’s 16,735.
Motor vehicle theft
In 2008, the report says, 1,244 vehicles were stolen as compared to the year 2007 when 1,153 vehicles were reported stolen.
The report does not state the number of vehicles recovered during the year under review or those missing.
Generally, the police say they recorded a 0.6 percent decline in robbery cases reported to them because there were 3,056 cases reported in the year compared to 3,295 reported in 2007.
Increased Cattle Rustling
The report shows that 2,006 cattle were stolen during the year under review compared to last year’s 1,464 which reflects a 37 percent increase.
Many of the incidents the report states occurred in Rift Valley, Eastern and North Eastern Provinces.
Other crimes
There were 3,460 incidents of criminal damage to property reported during the year ending December 2008 compared to last year’s 2,601, reflecting a 33 percent increase.
Cases of workers stealing from their employers rose to 2,188 up from last year’s 2,045 incidents.
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