From goons to entrepreneurs: Busia most feared gang reforms as members get jobs

When the name Jobless is mentioned in Busia, what lands in almost everyone’s mind is a grim picture of insecurity, crime, goons and all ruthless and negative characters one may comprehend.

The security personnel, the business community and the political class all have a story of pain to tell about the Jobless, a group of youth known to cause insecurity in the county.

This, however, may be coming to an end as Busia leaders began a journey to transform the once ‘lethal group’ into an entrepreneurial entity.

On Monday, Busia Governor Paul Otuoma accompanied by Principal Secretary, State Department for MSMEs Susan Mang'eni and Woman Representative Catherine Omanyo launched business projects for the group in the transport industry, security and waste management.

Otuoma handed the group a brand new 14-seater matatu worth more than Sh3.2 million commissioned by their security firm and committed to incorporating them in the waste management exercise within the county.

The matatu is a joint initiative of the governor, his deputy Arthur Odera, Omanyo, Busia speaker Fred Odilo and Marachi MCA Tony Onyango.

Mang’eni delivered a car wash kit and a contribution of Sh100,000 to help the group kick-start their business.

Speaking during the launch of the transformation drive, Otuoma challenged the group to prove to the world that they have indeed reformed.

“All that the people have said about you is now history and its time now to redeem yourselves and as you are now talking to the security team, you need to cooperate and guard our county and properties,” Otuoma said.

“Something must start somewhere and we want even the national government to know that a place called Marachi that was once associated with crime has now seen light and changed.”

Otuoma said a solution to such teams was to initiate investment programmes.

He called on the group to double their investment by the end of the year as he called on his officers to ensure the thirty percent threshold for youth, women and People Living with Disabilities is fully achieved.

Mangeni pledged to rehabilitate members of the once no-nonsense group and other groups through economic empowerment.

She noted her intention to bridge the gap between the national and county government in addressing the high poverty levels in Busia which are rated at 83 percent.

“This is a great initiative and I feel deeply encouraged to support this group and many others. To me, there is no bad person since anyone can be reformed," she said.

"I will send my officers here very soon to train youths and women on entrepreneurship as they will offer financial support either through loans or grants."

Acting county commissioner Kipchumba Ruto said the national administration was ready to work with the reformed team.

“Today members of Jobless have graduated in many things. They have walked the Damascus route, they were Saul and now Paul, they have graduated from goons to providing security. You have not been seeing eye-to-eye with the police and now you can share a table,” Ruto said.

The group’s leadership vowed not to return to crime as they recounted their past.

Jobless chairperson William Onyango pledged to work closely with the government and security agencies to promote law and order.

“Today God has done wonders; we have been misused for quite some time. However, with the support of the governor we are becoming partners in investment,” Onyango said.

“Some of the politicians use and dump us after politics and they only pass around in tinted cars, this is the end to such. We are now not goons but trained security guards and transport entrepreneurs.”

Jobless group, also previously referred to as Marachi Boys was in 2016 gazetted by the Ministry of Interior as a militia group after many cases of insecurity in Busia were linked to them.