- The residents are complaining of juvenile gangs that have been terrorising them at night.
- The young criminals are said to be targeting unsuspecting lone walkers in dark corners before running away with their valuables.
Residents of Kiteje, Bombo and Mkumbi villages in Matuga, Kwale county, have decried increased cases of insecurity.
The residents are complaining of juvenile gangs that have been terrorising them at night.
The young criminals are said to be targeting unsuspecting lone walkers in dark corners before running away with their valuables.
Bechari Mwandegwa from Kaya Bombo said the rate of insecurity in the areas is alarming and requires immediate intervention.
He said the nights are no longer safe for them as the youth prey on innocent residents.
"It is very terrifying, you can't walk alone in those alleys. If you have money, mobile phones or luggage they will be stolen," he said.
It is believed the juvenile gangs are armed with some electronic gadgets that temporarily cause paralysis before stealing from their targets.
Some terrorise resident using knives and pangas.
Mwandegwa said the cases are recorded daily. He said most of the juvenile gang members are not from the area.
The criminal groups are suspected to have come from Mombasa since the affected villages are closer to the Kwale-Mombasa borders.
Mombasa is one of the coastal counties known to have a high number of juvenile gangs.
Many are said to have fled to Kwale to escape police dragnet.
Mwanasha Juma Ganzala, another resident, said the young criminals range from age 9-15 years.
She said residents are tired of the insecurity, adding that the villages have become unsafe as attacks happen as early as 6pm.
She said the gangs use ropes to topple down motorbikes and bicycle riders.
"We always keep our fingers crossed when going for prayers and work for fear of attack," she said, adding that some of the juvenile gang members are known but residents keep quiet out of fear.
Residents now want the government to beef up security in the area saying the sensitisation programmes being carried out to tame crime have proved to be futile.
"We have done a lot of sensitisations but the juvenile criminal gangs are still growing. More action should be taken," Ganzala said.
She said some of the gang members have been frequently taken to police and punished but they are not quitting crime.
"Youth need to be saved from criminal activities because many of them have lost lives while others escape with severe injuries."
Ganzala blamed indiscipline on the rise of criminal gangs saying many children in the area take mugokaa, tobacco, smoke bhang and cigarettes openly.
Both Ganzala and Mwandegwa blamed parents for abdicating their parental responsibilities.
"If a parent can smoke bhang in front of their children what will they tell them," they said.
Amina Mwanzumari said most youth skip classes and instead spend their time idling leaving them vulnerable to engaging in criminal activities.
Mwanzumari asked the government to increase police patrols and build police posts to stem criminal activities in the area.
Police in the region have however assured residents saying they are working to ensure security is in place.
The area OCS Philip Ngatia said the criminal gangs are mostly from Likoni in Mombasa and that police officers are doing everything in their capacity to flush them out.
"We are trying to at least arrest those who terrorise residents and track down others," he said.
Ngatia said police patrols have been enhanced and they are making great efforts in keeping residents and their property safe.
"We are having day and night patrols to curb the vice," he said last week in Ng’ombeni during a security meeting with residents.
In August, Matuga Deputy County Commissioner Lucy Ndemo reported that despite there being a few cases of criminal activities, insecurity had significantly dropped.
She said security and non-governmental organisations in Kwale had successfully dealt with insecurity and juvenile gangs that used to terrorise resident in the region.
Ndemo said majority of the insecurity hotspot zones have experienced a prolonged calmness, adding that youth have transformed into peace ambassadors.