An online debate has erupted among Kenyans on X over rising cases of manipulated “mob justice” incidents in Nairobi, where criminals allegedly exploit public sympathy to rob innocent people.
In a viral video seen by TNX Africa, a violent altercation appears to unfold between a young woman and a man. The woman, dressed in blue jeans, a red top and a black cap, forcefully grabs the man, preventing him from walking away.
She loudly accuses him of stealing her phone and aggressively manhandles him.
“Give me back my phone!” she screams.
If you are in Nairobi and you are holding a nice phone… there are some ladies who, when they see you with it, they start shouting “mwizi!” so that you get beaten up as they take your phone and vanish! A lady tried this trick but the police arrived on time and caught her. She… pic.twitter.com/iXuMrGWKzP
— George T. Diano (@georgediano) May 13, 2026
The man attempts to plead with the growing crowd gathering around them, but the woman continues dragging him around while insisting he return her phone.
Convinced by the accusation, one bystander is heard saying, “Just give her back her phone.”
However, the man repeatedly responds, “It wasn’t me.”
The confrontation continues until traffic police officers intervene to calm the situation. Even as she continues hitting and shouting at the man, a female officer orders her to stop while the suspect attempts to explain himself to another officer before the video cuts off.
Nairobi has recently witnessed several cases of pickpocketing and mugging, particularly in the Central Business District (CBD) and surrounding areas, where criminal gangs increasingly target pedestrians.
However, according to X user George Diano, who shared the video, this incident was allegedly staged.
In his post, Diano claimed the woman was asked to unlock the phone using the password but failed to do so.
“The guy who was the rightful owner was told to enter the password, and he did it perfectly fine,” part of the caption read.
The viral clip triggered mixed reactions online, with several Kenyans sharing personal experiences involving criminals who falsely accuse victims of theft, use crowds to intimidate them, then steal from them in the confusion.
On X, one user identified as Mzalendo wrote, “It’s terrible. A friend of mine lost his phone that way. A woman borrowed his phone claiming she wanted to call her aunt because her parents had chased her from home. She was barefoot and crying. Out of kindness, the guy helped her make the call and she returned the phone. Moments later, she claimed he had stolen her phone and demanded that his phone be checked.”
Another user, David Joshua, added: “My colleague was burned to death earlier this year in Kawangware after being labelled a thief by these well-organised women and men. They move around in groups. Your life can be gone within minutes because of a phone. It’s so painful.”
