On Sunday, August 24, 2025, the unthinkable happened in the heart of Nairobi. At around 12:15 p.m., a gang of marauding youths stormed shops within Nanak House on Kimathi Street, smashing into small electronics stalls and shops. In just under 20 minutes, they left behind shattered glass, terrified traders, and losses estimated in hundreds of thousands of shillings.
What makes this heist extraordinary is not just its brazenness—it unfolded in broad daylight, on one of the most policed streets in the country—but the chants that pierced the chaos:
“Wantam! Wantam!”
To the uninitiated, this might sound like random street slang. But to political watchers, Wantam is more than a slogan. It is the battle cry of the Democracy for the Citizens Party (DCP), the movement fronted by former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, who returned to the country just days earlier after months abroad.
This chilling detail raises unsettling questions:
Was the raid mere opportunistic crime, or a politically choreographed show of force?
Why were the police missing in action?
Are Nairobi streets becoming the new battleground for political supremacy?
The Attack: A Timeline of Chaos
According to eyewitness accounts, the gang struck like clockwork. A dozen young men, some armed with crude weapons and knives, descended on barber shops and salons as well as electronics stalls, targeting shops selling mobile phones, accessories, and laptops. Videos circulating on social media show the attackers in hoodies and caps, smashing display counters, scooping up goods, and bolting toward waiting motorbikes.
“They came in groups of five or six, some riding on boda bodas. It was like they had rehearsed,” said a trader who spoke on condition of anonymity. “They kept shouting ‘Wantam! Wantam!’ and daring anyone to stop them.”
For many informal traders who run kiosks on Kimathi Street, this was a devastating blow. “I lost almost KSh 400,000 worth of stock,” said another shop owner. “Who will compensate us?”
By the time the gang melted away into the city streets, the damage was done: dozens of traders wiped out, livelihoods shattered, and a sense of safety obliterated.
The Most Disturbing Detail: The ‘Wantam’ Factor
In Kenyan politics, slogans are never innocent. ‘Wantam’ is deeply tied to the identity of the Democratic Change Party, a movement pushing a narrative of generational change and Mount Kenya political revival under Rigathi Gachagua.
The term gained traction during heated political rallies last year, touted as a code for solidarity and defiance against the current administration. It symbolizes a call to arms for a group that sees itself as the defender of Mt. Kenya’s political stake.
So why would a gang of robbers adopt it during a criminal act?
Was it a deliberate attempt to intimidate rivals and signal a political muscle-flex?
Or are opportunistic thugs hijacking political symbolism for cover?
Either way, the implications are grave. In a country with a history of political thuggery and election-related violence, such an incident cannot be brushed off as mere coincidence.
Where Were the Police?
Perhaps the most glaring question is the absence of law enforcement. Kimathi Street is one of the most surveilled areas in Nairobi, home to high-end offices, major banks, and just a short walk from Central Police Station.
Yet for nearly 20 minutes, the attackers operated with impunity.
“It’s like the city was abandoned,” said an eyewitness. “We kept expecting police to come running. They never did.”
Senior police officials later issued a vague statement promising “thorough investigations,” but as of the time of going to press, no arrests had been made.
This raises fears of either gross negligence, deliberate inaction, or possible complicity. Are rogue officers turning a blind eye due to political connections?
The Political Timing: Coincidence or Warning Shot?
The incident occurred barely four days after Rigathi Gachagua returned from abroad, amid whispers of a new political storm brewing in the Mt. Kenya region. Sources close to the former DP say he is on a mission to reclaim influence and reshape the region’s political future through the DCP party.
Gachagua’s return has already rattled the ruling coalition, with speculation of secret strategy meetings and realignments. In such a charged atmosphere, a daylight display of organized lawlessness in Nairobi’s CBD—complete with DCP slogans—cannot be ignored.
Political analyst Dr. Samuel Karani calls it “a classic show of force.”
“Kenyan politics has a long tradition of informal militias being used to send messages or enforce loyalty,” Karani says. “The timing, the symbolism, and the location are all significant. This was not just a robbery; it was a statement.”
Historical Echoes: From Mungiki to Modern Militias
Kenya has walked this path before. The Mungiki menace of the early 2000s saw an outlawed sect morph into a political tool, terrorizing opponents, extorting businesses, and influencing elections. While Mungiki was crushed through police crackdowns, its legacy of organized street power remains a playbook for ambitious politicians.
The Kimathi Street incident suggests that political violence has evolved, adopting urban guerrilla tactics and modern branding. Instead of rural bases and oaths, today’s militias leverage city networks, motorbike taxis, and social media hype. They thrive in the gray zone between political activism and criminality.
Traders Left Helpless
For small traders, the politics mean little. What matters are the losses—and the fear that this could happen again. Most affected businesses were informal kiosks operating on razor-thin margins.
“Some of us took loans to buy stock,” said a devastated trader. “Now everything is gone. Who do we even report to, when the police themselves were missing?”
Without swift intervention, many fear that downtown Nairobi could descend into lawlessness, as emboldened gangs exploit the security vacuum.
The Bigger Picture: A Country on Edge
This is not an isolated incident. Kenya has seen a spike in urban crime and political disorder in recent months. From violent protests to organized heists, the line between political agitation and criminality is blurring dangerously.
The Kimathi Street raid underscores three chilling realities:
1. Militant politics is creeping back, cloaked in populist slogans.
2. Security agencies appear compromised—by incompetence or political pressure.
3. Ordinary Kenyans are collateral damage in elite power struggles.
Unanswered Questions
Who organized the Kimathi Street attack?
Was it sanctioned by political players—or opportunistic criminals borrowing political branding?
Why were the police absent in the most policed part of the city?
Will the state act decisively—or sweep this under the carpet to avoid political embarrassment?
Until these questions are answered, Nairobians are left with a grim reality: If gangs can overrun Kimathi Street at noon, is anyone truly safe?
The Road Ahead
Experts warn that if left unchecked, such incidents could spiral into systemic urban insecurity. With the 2027 elections on the horizon, the stakes are higher than ever. Political actors must denounce violence, security agencies must reassert control, and the government must restore public confidence—or risk a descent into chaos.
For now, the streets whisper with fear—and a slogan that once belonged to rallies now echoes in the shadows of Nairobi’s skyline:
Wantam. Wantam. Wantam.
This was not just a robbery. It was a signal—loud, calculated, and deeply political.
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