Many estates in Nairobi are grappling with insecurity in the face of an increased number of criminal gangs.
In Dandora, residents say it is difficult to invest, especially in real estate, if one is not known to the ‘big boys’ (as the gangsters are referred to). A developer is required to part with a protection fee.
They told the Star the situation is so dire that many residents, who do not want to be beholden to the gangs, have opted to invest elsewhere to protect themselves. They fear for their lives.
“At times while constructing a house in Dandora and its environs, thugs seek menial jobs under the disguise of being job seekers, only to reveal their real identities on paydays,” a resident said.
He said several local investors from the estate and its neighbourhoods had fallen victim to the criminals.
“Most of those who work in construction industries get paid on Saturdays. Such thugs only work for six days a week but demand more than they work for. For instance, if they worked for Sh1,000 a day, they demand Sh3,000, forcing the investor to spend Sh18,000 instead of Sh6,000,” he said.
He said many investors feel discouraged but there is nothing they can do because their lives are at stake. Conflicts arising from land disputes are also rampant and the criminal gangs are complicit. According to residents, only those who can hire them survive in the business so they are ‘protected’ at a fee.
The revelation comes at a time a section of Kenyans has lost confidence in the police. The problem reverberates across the city. Some officers have been accused of engaging in crime and linked to gangs.
Rogue officers have been accused of forming unholy alliances with spineless gangsters, leaving residents with nowhere to seek refuge.
But regional police commander Philip Ndolo yesterday sought to assure residents that they are safe and secure wherever they are. He dismissed claims that the gangs have returned to the city.
“They have not started coming and whenever we get their sites, we deal with them firmly,” Ndolo told the Star on the phone.
He, however, added that illegal gangs are suspected to operate at bus stages and called on residents to report.
“We are asking for intelligence to arrest those suspected to be members of criminal gangs,” he said.
He said they conduct several security swoops, citing the latest they did on Dandora and Umoja estates a week ago in which they nabbed 30 people. The police boss said the suspects were arraigned and charged. It is not easy to prove they are members of criminal gangs as most of them are not armed when arrests are made, he said.
“What evidence do you have to prove they are a gang? Most of them are arrested for offences of touting,” Ndolo said.
On many estates, however, terrified residents can only talk about their tribulations in hushed voices. They say the criminal justice system is not doing enough to tame crime and blame it for their hair-raising experience at the hands of the bloodthirsty gangsters.
What evidence do you have to prove they are a gang? Most of them are arrested for offences of touting
They are robbed, maimed, and some even killed. In some areas, the gangs operate with reckless abandon. In Dandora and environs, residents say Gaza, Yakuza and Smarter are in control, and add that some members are as young as 15. They also cite the reemergence of the outlawed Mungiki sect.
The gangs have carved up the area based on their influence to minimise gangland conflicts. For ease of operation, Gaza, the main gang, has a unique way of identifying its members. A source privy to their operations yesterday said they use open shoes that expose their toes. The shoes are tightly secured to ensure they do not slip off when pursuing prey or fleeing from the authorities.
He said the gangsters also identify each other through body tattoos, mostly a dragon or the Gaza name. Some criminals prefer to have a teardrop tattooed on a visible body part or even three cuts in the eyebrows. They also use swords, knives and guns.
Another source said some Gaza members have morphed into Yakuza, which specialises in bank robberies. Yakuza and Smarter control the Dandora dumpsite and charge those disposing of waste. Their operations paint a dreadful picture of a city under siege.
Residents complain that they have been left on their own as criminals have a field day. The situation is the same on other estates such as Kayole, Baba Dogo, Mathare, Mukuru kwa Yaba, Kariobangi North, Kawangware (Congo) and Majengo.
Some of those who have encountered the gangs have not lived to tell the tale. Others thank God for his mercy; it’s a miracle to come through the ordeal, they say. On these estates, residents are mugged in broad daylight. Some dwellers have had to move to other parts of the city in pursuit of safety.
Even the city centre has not been spared as areas have been marked as crime hotspots controlled by gangs. They include Globe Roundabout, Koja, Kenya Railways, the footbridge connecting Land Mawe to Kenya Railways, Muthurwa Market and River Road.
Ndolo said the police will not relent in their crackdown on criminals. Their swoops will continue, he added.
In early 2018, the National Cohesion and Integration Commission launched a report titled The Impact of Organised Gangs on Social Cohesion in Kenya.
The report was based on research carried out between November 2016 and June 2017 following concerns over political radicalisation and reemergence of criminal gangs that were wreaking havoc in different parts of the country during the 2017 electioneering.
Fifteen counties were sampled, with the majority of participants agreeing that organised gang activity hurts social cohesion at several levels. Lead researcher Sellah King’oro, while presenting the findings, highlighted that 90 per cent of organised criminal gangs in the country are financed and deployed by politicians.
According to the report, the majority of gang members range between the ages of 15 and 35, with some as young as 11.
Gangs create fear, thus dividing communities along political and ethnic lines. Through the report, the NCIC stressed the need to eradicate gangs if the country has to achieve national unity.
(Edited by F'Orieny)
