State to target gangs in Western region crackdown- Murkomen
Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen said that although political thuggery and gang problems are not widespread, there is a growing motorcycle gang culture in the area.
Gangs that started as outfits for the economic and social empowerment of young people have been blamed for rising insecurity in Western Kenya, particularly in Vihiga County.
Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen, speaking during the Jukwaa La Usalama forum in the county on Saturday, said that although political thuggery and gang problems are not widespread, there is a growing motorcycle gang culture in the area.
“There are gangs and goons in Vihiga County with names such as Reggae Boys and Nduthi Culture. They were initially formed with the aim of fostering economic development among youth. However, over time, they have transformed into criminal gangs that pose a serious security threat,” Murkomen said, stressing that security agencies will launch a crackdown on the groups.
“They disrupt traffic and funerals, and carry out robberies to finance their activities. The groups will be targeted in our impending crackdown to ensure it doesn't morph into a more serious threat.”
The CS noted that Western Kenya has a unique trend where gangs extend their operations into rural areas, unlike other regions where gangs operate mainly in urban centres.
“The question every person who comes from this region must ask themselves, including us in the security sector nationally, is ‘What is the future of the State in the wake of prevalence [of] small gangs threatening people?’” Murkomen said.
Murkomen further revealed that the ministry is boosting police presence in the region to address insecurity.
On the twin problem of drug and substance abuse, Murkomen said the government is closing in on major suppliers of marijuana in Western Kenya in a bid to scuttle the distribution network of the banned substance.
He added that marijuana is a major security problem in the county, with Luanda location earmarked as the hotbed of the illegal drug, which is largely imported from neighbouring countries, including Uganda then distributed to other parts of the country.
“I have directed our administration officers in the county to intensify barazas to sensitize wananchi against drug use and to spearhead a shift in perceptions on the use of drugs that, unfortunately, has been normalized in the community,” added the CS.
