[kictanet] Daylight Robbery along Southern Bypass - Nairobi

Thu Nov 24 16:04:27 EAT 2011

The cameras will help catch the keep-off the robbers! Assuming they will
not steal the cameras as well...

Maybe it is time to think about the 'cloud' seriously. Data lost through
the stolen laptops (from the 7 cars robbed yesterday) might take months to
be fully re-constructed. It seems many take data redundancy for granted. I
am learning the hard way...

On Thu, Nov 24, 2011 at 3:57 PM, rsohan at gmail.com <rsohan at gmail.com> wrote:

>
>
> On Thu, Nov 24, 2011 at 12:42 PM, Andrea Bohnstedt <
> andrea.bohnstedt at ratio-magazine.com> wrote:
>
>> Nairobi isn't a very safe place in most areas.
>>
>> Also, cameras will only help both security and road safety if anyone
>> actually does anything with the information recorded.
>>
>>
> [x-post to skunkworks]
>
> Maybe there's a case to be made for a community driven/voluntary CCTV
> network?
> I'd certainly chip in with technical contributions and some money for
> resources.
>
>
>
>> On 24 November 2011 13:40, Harry Delano <harry at comtelsys.co.ke> wrote:
>>
>>>  Pole for what happened, and thankfully you are well.****
>>>
>>>  ****
>>>
>>> I believe some of the highway cameras will in due time become helpful in
>>> monitoring****
>>>
>>> and capturing  the goings on along some of these stretches. Especially
>>> those mounted****
>>>
>>> on high voltage KPLC masts alongside the roads will do the job.****
>>>
>>> ** **
>>>
>>> I propose as speed cameras are discussed, a security angle of it should
>>> as well be ****
>>>
>>> Introduced/considered, to keep our populace safe. Who is behind this
>>> project..?****
>>>
>>> In fact we should start by mounting GSM security cameras in places
>>> considered crime ****
>>>
>>> prone.****
>>>
>>> ** **
>>>
>>> Harry****
>>>
>>> ** **
>>>
>>> *From:* kictanet-bounces+harry=comtelsys.co.ke at lists.kictanet.or.ke[mailto:
>>> kictanet-bounces+harry=comtelsys.co.ke at lists.kictanet.or.ke] *On Behalf
>>> Of *Philip Adar
>>> *Sent:* Thursday, November 24, 2011 11:24 AM
>>> *To:* harry at comtelsys.co.ke
>>> *Cc:* KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions
>>> *Subject:* [kictanet] Daylight Robbery along Southern Bypass - Nairobi**
>>> **
>>>
>>> ** **
>>>
>>> Who knows when they will ever come calling?
>>>
>>> It is on Wednesday 23rd November 2011, I left office (Ngong Road) with
>>> another appointment at 6pm in Nairobi West. To make it in time, I decide
>>> that Ngong road is not fast enough and clearly remembers the usability of
>>> an alternative "short-cut" route; the Southern Bypass. After all, it is
>>> still daytime.
>>>
>>> As I take my turn into the Southern Bypass, driving towards Langata,
>>> everything seems okay. Several on coming cars are seen. Actually the road
>>> is busy, many vehicles but nevertheless that is good for security and some
>>> great distances are covered pretty fast.
>>>
>>> One little hill done, then valley, then the next hill is approach,
>>> actually now mid way along this route. Suddenly, some vehicle is spotted
>>> parked on the right side of the road, doors wide open. I slow down a bit,
>>> avoiding to hit onto the doors of the other vehicle. Speed is reduced from
>>> an average of 100Km/h to 30 or 40Km/h, and the car is now positioned for
>>> the eventual overtaking.
>>>
>>> Suddenly a youthful Kenyan is spotted doing his nation building duties.
>>> He is standing in the middle of the road, about 30 meters away; with a gun
>>> in hand; pointing towards the on-coming car. I tries a U-turn on this
>>> "loose earth" road, impossible on this narrow road with deep trenches on
>>> both sides of the road . 2 gun shots in quick succession are fired towards
>>> me; and by now I realizes that the road is narrow and the u-turn cannot
>>> work at all.
>>>
>>> Cornered, un-armed and frightened, I surrenders and obeys. I jumps out
>>> of the car and my belly is welcomed flat on the dusty murram road. My feet
>>> landing directly on the muddy waterway on the side of the road. Not
>>> comfortable, but in situations like this; instincts quickly gathers that
>>> you do not complain! My pockets are frisked; the car is run-sacked;
>>> everything is taken away. out of curiosity I peep from under the car over
>>> the other sides and immediately notices a couple of other private cars
>>> (about 5 to 7 in total); occupants (both men women of stature); all sharing
>>> in my predicament on the surface of the murram road. I consoles myself that
>>> after all, it will be many murders, not just one. Something like this may
>>> definitely attract the governments attention to these matters of security.
>>>
>>> In a couple of minutes, the youth group (approximately 5 in total);
>>> invites everybody back to their cars as they dash into the nearby Ngong
>>> forest. In fact they shout thank you's to us for having chosen to travel
>>> this short-cut road without traffic jams and even encourages us to continue
>>> using it in the future. We are reminded that with no resistance, things can
>>> never get bloody...
>>>
>>> Indeed, very nice words for me by now...
>>>
>>> I collects himself from the ground, dusts off a little bit, but most of
>>> the mud is too stubborn. Luckily, the car engine is still running. About
>>> 500 meters from the scene, I notices several vehicles; private cars and
>>> public vans (buses and matatu's) parked on the road waiting for the ordeal
>>> happening just ahead to complete. Of course it is clear that they watched
>>> the whole episode. Some by-standers (about 10 to 15) as well are spotted by
>>> the road side, watching the episode.
>>>
>>> As I continue down the road about 2Km from the robbery scene, I spots
>>> two cops on patrol. I slow down and pulls over to the attention of the two
>>> cops armed to the teeth, each with an AK-47. I narrates the ordeal briefly
>>> and the cops asks for a quick ride to reach the scene and follow the
>>> gun-trotting youths. After all, I have lost so much; I agree to drive the
>>> cops. The car is now a police response vehicle. By now the cops are asking
>>> too many questions: How many were they?, did they have guns?, I heard some
>>> gun shots, was it there!, roughly how many people/cars were there? How much
>>> money did they take from you??? etc. I give rough estimates as we speed
>>> towards the scene, now beaming with confidence. After all, I am protected
>>> with two AK-47's (most probably loaded). The cops promises to get something
>>> back, if not everything, but at least the documents which they are sure
>>> will not be useful for these youthful Kenyans doing their part in the
>>> nation-building business.
>>>
>>> After some distance, I pull over and shows the two cops the presumed
>>> location of the incident, but they refuses to accept this location and
>>> points to some other location some 500 meters ahead. I drives further ahead
>>> and actually realizes that I was confused. The cops who were about 2-3 KM
>>> away from the scene of the incident knows better...!!!
>>>
>>> The cops disembark, heads towards the forest and urges him to proceed
>>> and report the incident at Karen police station.
>>>
>>> *
>>> The morale of the true story: The Southern Bypass in NOT safe anytime,
>>> day or night; with or without the police. Sambaza to your contacts. It is
>>> not an interesting thing to experience.
>>>
>>> Can media highlight such cases publicly on prime time news so that all
>>> Nairobians get to know these unsafe places? If someone could have died,
>>> yes; it could have been on news! We can help others by warning tirelessly,
>>> without surrender...
>>> *
>>>
>>> --
>>> Regards
>>>
>>> Philip Adar****
>>>
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>>
>>
>>
>> --
>> Andrea Bohnstedt <http://ke.linkedin.com/in/andreabohnstedt>
>> Publisher
>> +254 720 960 322
>>
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>>
>> The Kenya ICT Action Network (KICTANet) is a multi-stakeholder platform
>> for people and institutions interested and involved in ICT policy and
>> regulation. The network aims to act as a catalyst for reform in the ICT
>> sector in support of the national aim of ICT enabled growth and development.
>>
>> KICTANetiquette : Adhere to the same standards of acceptable behaviors
>> online that you follow in real life: respect people's times and bandwidth,
>> share knowledge, don't flame or abuse or personalize, respect privacy, do
>> not spam, do not market your wares or qualifications.
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>
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> The Kenya ICT Action Network (KICTANet) is a multi-stakeholder platform
> for people and institutions interested and involved in ICT policy and
> regulation. The network aims to act as a catalyst for reform in the ICT
> sector in support of the national aim of ICT enabled growth and development.
>
> KICTANetiquette : Adhere to the same standards of acceptable behaviors
> online that you follow in real life: respect people's times and bandwidth,
> share knowledge, don't flame or abuse or personalize, respect privacy, do
> not spam, do not market your wares or qualifications.
>

-- 
Regards

Philip Adar
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