Government statistics show there are currently over 20 criminal gangs active and operational across Mombasa county.
Some of the most affected subcounties are Kisauni (Magodoroni, Mtopanga and Mwandoni), Island (Old Town, Majengo and Shimanzi) and Likoni (Shelly Beach, Majengo Mapya and Kiteje) where residents live in fear of being attacked by youthful marauding criminal gangs.
In the recent past, criminal activities blamed on juvenile criminal groups have been on the increase in the county. Cases of people being attacked, stubbed and robbed have become a common occurrence in Mombasa.
Poor parenting, idleness, peer pressure, drug abuse, school dropout and easy access to weapons have been identified as the main social factors influencing young people to engage in crime.
However, the recent upsurge in criminal gangs is also linked to the political environment in the country — the upcoming general election and the BBI debacle. While there is no clear link between the gangs and politicians, it is believed the groupings are positioning themselves to be taken up by politicians once the election fever takes over. So they are presently contesting for space in efforts to outdo each other and place themselves as the ideal gangs for consideration by politicians and other influential individuals in Mombasa.
Due to recent years of economic hardships, discrimination and marginalisation, many youth in Mombasa are now finding solace in crime thus becoming easy recruits of criminal gangs. Furthermore, the youths continue to be left out in important conversations on security and development. Neither national nor county governments are doing enough to meaningfully engage the youth. The youth lack spaces and opportunities to be involved in key processes that will improve their lives.
In the rare occasions where special opportunities arise such as blue economy, young people don’t engage because they do not have adequate knowledge or do not feel that these spaces are meant for them.
They will always point out to past experiences where politically connected youth are always the ones given such opportunities. They have, therefore, lost hope of making it in life.
Police have also been accused of taking bribes from suspected youth criminals and setting them free whenever community representatives arrest them. This encourages other youth to become criminals and not fear being arrested
The situation has now reached dangerous levels and could easily degenerate into further chaos and violence in the county. Combined with a hotly contested electioneering period with hotly competing national and county interests, the situation threatens to lead to bloodshed of huge proportions.
Further, following the rise in crime, police have now resorted to extra judicial killings, which exacerbates the situation. Since January 2021, HAKI Africa has documented over 20 cases of extrajudicial killings in Mombasa county alone. This creates anger and animosity against the police by communities that are already feeling aggrieved by insecurity.
It also means that instead of working together to fight crime, police and communities end up pointing fingers at each other on who is responsible.
In the confusion, criminal gangs continue to operate and harm innocent individuals who are already struggling to make ends meet. On various occasions, community members have resorted to taking matters into their own hands and lynch criminal suspects.
In one incident in March 2021, four suspected youth criminal members were lynched by the public who lamented that surrendering the suspects to police was useless, as they would be released soon after. They stoned the four to death in Shimanzi, Mombasa.
For months now, HAKI Africa has been working with others to try and pull various actors together to address the issue of criminal gangs. There is urgent need for a multi-pronged approach in dealing with the situation with the youth as the focal point of all interventions.
The approach will offer safe spaces for youth to engage their parents as well as enhance collaboration between community and police. The security authorities will need to involve national and county governments to offer the necessary support needed to realise a conducive peaceful environment in Mombasa devoid of criminal gangs.
