Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen during Jukwaa la Usalama tour in Kisumu CountyInterior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen has raised concern over the rise of organised gangs in Nyanza and Western Kenya, warning that the government will not allow them to threaten peace and security in the region.
Speaking in Kisumu after a regional security meeting, the CS cited gangs such as Forty-Two Brothers and Mbogi among others as dangerous groups that must be dismantled before they entrench themselves further in communities.
"All those criminal activities that are being undertaken in groups in the name of gangs, whether you’re calling yourselves Forty-Two Brothers,Mbogi, we have to be very honest with ourselves".
The CS stated that for young people who are struggling with unemployment, we must find other ways of engaging them, not to carry crude weapons like knives and machetes.
He added that no leader should rely on goons to advance their interests or force their ideas on others.
“We must ensure that all of us are submitting to the authority under the Constitution, under the National Police Service, to make sure our country remains safe. No one will use goons to force somebody to believe in certain ideas. And we cannot legalise criminal activities by using goons,” he declared.
Beyond Kisumu and Western Kenya
Murkomen noted that the menace is not confined to Nyanza and Western Kenya alone, but also affects Nairobi and its metropolitan counties of Kiambu, Murang’a, Machakos, and parts of Kajiado.
He pointed out that similar networks exist in Mombasa and Isiolo, with some groups ferrying goons across counties to fuel chaos.
“There’s a reason Isiolo is part of this network, because we know the people who have been organising to ferry goons from other cities to Isiolo and other places," he said.
From a national perspective, the CS noted that they are going to have one clear direction on how to dismantle these gangs, particularly their financial networks.
"The financiers and those hiring them must peacefully exit the business or face legal action,” the CS warned.
Judiciary and Police Collaboration
Murkomen said the government is developing a unified national strategy to tackle gangs, focusing on cutting off financial support and prosecuting ringleaders. He praised the judiciary for cooperating with security agencies but called for even closer collaboration.
“We are ready from the security perspective to engage the judiciary to appreciate the danger these gangs pose if we don’t take enforcement seriously,” he said.
Murkomen assured that security agencies will intensify operations ahead of the November 27 by-elections, warning political aspirants against hiring gangs to disrupt their competitors’ rallies.
He added that the government will continue working with chiefs, assistant chiefs, and community leaders to build safer environments while finding alternative ways of engaging unemployed youth to keep them from criminal recruitment.
