'Afande Please': Kenyans coin hilarious phrase to shut down undercover cops tricking them into arrests

As the involved parties continued to devise innovative ways to either avoid or collide with each other, the country has witnessed a proliferation of creative schemes from either sides.

Kenyans trying to beat the police at their game and the police sweetening up their tactics in a bid to effect an arrest, abduction, or kidnapping.

For weeks now, online provocateurs have been ambushed in their homes, at hangout joints, at their workplaces, along a random street or even at a silent hideout in Kinoo.

More than ninety-eight percent of the time, law enforcement authorities have been successful in apprehending their intended victims, leading to yet another round of 'Free So-and-So' across social media.

Amidst it all, there have been questions on just how suave these police fellows are and just what brilliant techniques were they devising to accurately nail down almost every single person in their radar.

"Hawa makarao wanajua aje mpaka kwa nyumba yako? How can they tell where you are at all times? How are they so successful in arresting people within a matter of hours? Who is leaking our locations?" someone asked on X.

While we haven't yet found a conclusive answer to the little mystery, some Kenyans now believe that the police are hiding in plain sight - they've expertly merged into society, existing amongst us, walking next to us, chatting us up and even retweeting our anti-government posts, adding a silly emoji too.

As the realization continues to dawn on the gullible, Kenyans have now coined a new phrase to deter any surreptitious moves by the police - 'Afande Please'.

By invoking the phrase, Kenyans are simply telling the police, "I know who you are, I know what you're trying to do, I understand your game... But not today, honey..."

So popular is the catchphrase 'Afande Please' that it has already found its way on the back of t-shirts and is quickly headed into the annals of Nairobi's reputable street lexicon.

Kenyans are now politely - or not-so-politely- telling the police to get off their tail, find other things to do, try other victims and/or abandon the mission altogether.

"Ukiona mtu anaku text vitu random, ati, 'where do you stay by the way' or 'niko kwenu, ama ulihama?', just know that these are cops. Don't stress. Just tell them,"Afande please... " Gathoni Mwanza, a Kenyan on X, says.

Popular comedian Mwirigi has even done a viral skit which perfectly captures the phrase - in it, Mwirigi can be seen in various situations as a random man approaches him with curious questions.

Well aware of the current mood in the nation, Mwirigi can quickly tell that the stranger means no good and simply tells him off, saying "Afande Please... Wachana na mimi. Watu wetu wananitegemea..."

X influencer Beverlyn Kwamboka would also be slapped with an 'Afande Please' response after she tweeted, "Vile kuko hata nyinyi mnaona itabidi mtoke faceless, sasa incase, hiyo cartoon/gari ndio tutaunda nayo poster? Tokeni faceless jameni."

Trick questions, now, are being treated with the utmost caution, with people approaching even their nearest and dearest with vigilance, lest they expose themselves and become the next victim of the runaway abductions bedeviling the country.

"We are living in dangerous times. In this political climate , you cannot just divulge your private information to just anyone," High Court advocate Samson Nzomo says.

"Intelligence officers will do anything to nail you and track you down. They can even use your closest friend or office colleague. You just have to be wary of your surroundings and who you are interacting with."