NCIC cautions Kenyans on reemergence of criminal gangs

The National Cohesion and Integration Commission (NCIC) has identified five counties where organised criminal gangs, some with the backing of politicians, have reemerged.

According to the Commission, Nairobi, Mombasa, Kisumu, Nakuru, and Kiambu counties were the most affected, adding that the gang's operations were becoming sophisticated by the day.

This came a couple of days after the commission called on the DCI to arrest over ten politicians, including some close allies of the President, for hate speech.

Last week, tens of youths invaded and paralysed a prayer meeting in Nyeri led by the wife of former DP Rigathi Gachagua, forcing her and those present to flee.

The commission chairman, Reverend Samuel Kobia, noted that unlike in the past, the leaders of the groups were recruiting learnt but unemployed youths into the gangs.

Speaking at the end of a two-day consultative meeting in Naivasha, Kobia noted that failure to tame the groups could in the future plunge the country into chaos.

“These gangs have been able to establish a strong presence in urban and peri-urban areas, and their operations have disrupted lives, making everyday life dangerous to many,” he said.

Kobia warned that the evolution of organised criminal gangs could lead to what a study by the UN termed as state capture, which was just one step to becoming a criminalised state.

“We have observed a troubling decline in social and moral values, evidenced by the increasing incidences of abuse and brutal murders, particularly of young people and women,” he said.

The chairman noted that the gangs were also involved in cybercrimes and illicit activities like drug trafficking and smuggling, which stoke violence and destabilise communities.

He noted that if allowed to take root, these gangs would in the future be difficult to dismantle, thus endangering the nation’s stability.

“We must act decisively to prevent our country from following the path of countries where criminal gangs have gained such a stronghold that they control daily life, rendering governance nearly impossible,” he said.

Speaking earlier, Naivasha MP Jane Kihara has accused the government of financing the outlawed youth groups to disrupt identified political and church services in Central Kenya.

Kihara took issue with the Nyeri incident, noting that this was a bigger plan to stop Rigathi in Central Kenya, warning that it would not work.

“We have seen members of the outlawed sector storm even church services after being sponsored by the state, and we are calling on the youths to stop being misused by the politicians,” she said.