Ransom gangs hit Nairobi, says National Crime Research Centre report

By Cyrus Ombati

NAIROBI, KENYA: Nairobi County is controlled by up to 14 organised criminal gangs, which terrorise residents for ransom.

Most of these gangs operate in informal settlement areas where policing is poor, a new report shows.

A report by The National Crime Research Centre profiling Kenya’s main organized gangs indicate the main gangs that operate in Kibera slums include Yes We Can, J-10, Kamkunji Pressure Group, Siafu, Kibera Batallion and Nubians.

The others include Kamkunji Boys in Kamkunji area, Munyipi in Mathare, Super Power in Eastleigh, Kenya Youth Alliance, Taliban in Kayole and Dandora, Jeshi La Wazee in Kangemi, Kamjeshi in Eastlands, Al-Shabaab, Jeshi La Embakasi, and Mungiki.

The gangs usually commit extortion, provide security, mobilize people to attend political rallies, resolve disputes, provide water and electricity illegally.

The report shows the gangs earn their funding through extortion from the public, stealing, robbery, politicians, and selling of stolen goods, a government report shows.

The report also identifies business people who need protection, illegal levies, group members contributions, drug trafficking, hijacking and piracy, terrorism, rent collection, government officials and family members as part of the sources of their funds.

The report identifies 46 notorious groups, which it says are spread across the country carrying out drug trafficking, murders, extortion, kidnapping, robberies, and evictions.

Kenyans know majority of the gangs are involved in armed robbery, drug trafficking, vehicle theft and trafficking, kidnapping for ransom, money laundering, theft of antiques, livestock theft and loan sharking in order of merit.

The report released by the National Crime Research Centre says most of these gangs use women and children to commit crimes, invest their stolen loot and receive backing from politicians.

While the male gang members are hardened criminals, women and children are usually used to distract attention because they are normally not the “usual suspects,” on the police watch, says the report.

The women are used for spying and the safe-keeping of stolen loot, drug trafficking, act as agents, provide sexual services and carry chicken to dupe victims to open doors.

Women in criminal gangs usually masquerade as prostitutes, with the aim of getting closer to targets they have been ordered to spy on.

Children come in handy, carrying guns and illegal drugs for the gangs, spying, keep stolen loot and prompt potential victims to react negatively so that the adult criminal intervenes.

The elderly administer oaths to fresh recruits and are also used in resolving disputes that frequently arise among gang members, to ensure the illegal outfits remain intact.

They also counsel, sell drugs, train recruits, cleanse and spy as well, the report says.

Gangs that specialise in burglary often use children by pushing them through small openings where an adult cannot fit so as to enter a house.

In areas such as Mathare slums where the Mungiki and Taliban reign, confrontations are common as rival gangs fight for supremacy, creating opportunities for older members to resolve the turf wars by convening negotiations in which contested areas are mapped out and gang members ordered to restrict their activities to areas within their jurisdictions.

Violators of such pacts are usually heavily punished by the elders in their own gangs, usually in form of fines.

“Inter-group disagreements, power struggles and conflicts were frequently reported between criminal gangs. It was reported in Nairobi between Mungiki, Kamjesh and Taliban over the control of matatu routes in Eastlands,” says the report.

During its launch National Crime Research Centre director Oriri Onyango said the country was witnessing the emergence of more organised criminal groups in even more complex crimes such as terrorism, piracy, cyber-crime, corruption , drug trafficking, money laundering, sexual abuse and gender-based violence.

“These crimes have become a common concern both for the government and citizens not only in Kenya but across the globe and have impacted negatively on personal safety and security,” said Onyango.

The study recommends that more investment should be directed to co-ordinated research activities to adequately address emerging crimes such as banking fraud and cyber-crime, which are linked to technological advancement. Some of these gangs include Mungiki, Taliban, Kamjesh, Sungu Sungu, Mombasa Republican Council, Angola Msumbiji, 42 brothers, Al Shabaab, land Lord, Siafu, J-10 among others.

Police were accused of colluding with members of these illegal groups to the extent of blackmailing their fellow officers.

The report further recommends the government fully implement relevant legislation and also enhance intelligence gathering and information sharing among the relevant players