Police and youth in Kisumu use football to build trust and tackle insecurity

For years, police officers and young people in Kisumu have often met on opposite sides of the law, with the law officers pursuing suspected criminals while youths in informal settlements accuse police of harassment and excessive force.

But on Friday, the two sides put aside their uniforms and stereotypes and met on the football pitch at the Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Sports Complex, where competition replaced confrontation in an unusual attempt to rebuild trust and tackle insecurity in the lakeside city.

Police officers drawn from different stations across Kisumu County faced off against a community team known as Mbogi, comprising youths from informal settlements including Obunga, Manyatta and Nyalenda.

 The match was part of a wider community-policing initiative bringing together the National Police Service, Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), Kenya Prisons Service, National Authority for the Campaign Against Alcohol and Drug Abuse (NACADA), Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP), Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) and National Cohesion and Integration Commission (NCIC).

 Organisers said the initiative was aimed at changing the perception that police are enemies of the community, encouraging young people to shun crime and creating a platform where security agencies and residents can interact away from the usual policing environment.

James Omwa, the County Coordinator for Community Policing Committees and Civilian Secretary for Community Policing in Kisumu Central, said the initiative followed concerns over rising insecurity and the involvement of young people in crime and violent activities.

“This is a great day for us as the community and the police. Community policing is anchored in Article 244 of the Constitution of Kenya and Sections 96, 97 and 98 of the National Police Service Act, which provide for engagement between members of the public, the police and other law enforcement agencies,” said Omwa.

 He said the county had experienced insecurity challenges in recent months, with some young people being drawn into criminal and violent activities.

“We have had issues before. Three months ago, there were issues of insecurity, with our young boys being involved in crime and participating in violent activities. We have seen police undertake serious activities and make arrests, while members of the public have also been angered,” he said.

Omwa said the situation had sometimes resulted in deadly confrontations, with members of the public taking the law into their own hands.

“We decided that from the beginning, we want to have joint football games involving members of the public and the police. We have had two games. The first one was between Kenya Prisons and a civilian team known as Bayern,” he said.

The second match pitted a National Police Service team comprising officers from different police stations against Mbogi, a community team drawn from informal settlements.

Omwa said the objective was not simply to win matches but to use sport to change attitudes and encourage cooperation.

 He warned young people against making crime a way of life, saying the consequences could be imprisonment or death.

He warned against politicians exploiting young people to perpetrate violence during the electioneering period.

“From our youth to their parents, enforcement agencies, the clergy, everybody should know what they can do. Security is a shared responsibility, and we cannot leave it to blaming everybody. We don't know who might be affected tomorrow,” he said.

Kisumu County Criminal Investigation Officer Steven Ambani praised the organisers for creating a meeting point between police and residents.

“In crime management strategy, community policing has become a very instrumental structure that can bridge the gap between the National Police Service and members of the public,” he said.

Ambani said the sporting activities were a practical demonstration that police officers had a role in the community beyond making arrests and that residents also had a role to play in preventing crime.

He said fighting crime required cooperation between the public and law enforcement agencies.

“Let us fight crime. It is not a one-man show. It is not the role of the police. You and the police are partners. In our security management, let us fully partner and ensure that we fight crime within Kisumu,” he said.

Ambani said young people were particularly vulnerable to recruitment into criminal groups and political violence, making their involvement in constructive activities such as sport critical.

“Look at the engagement these young boys and men are having today, and even our ladies. When you engage in activities like this, you are thinking about how best you can make a future for yourself. Engaging in crime will cost you, and it will pay back severely,” he said.Ambani also addressed the issue of police profiling, saying it formed part of investigations and efforts to identify people linked to criminal activities.

“We profile for purposes of trying to identify who is participating in criminal activities. We want to ensure that any person who is attached to criminal activities is investigated and that we are able to know some details about them,” he said.

The first football encounter of the day involved Kenya Prisons officers and a civilian team known as Bayern.

Although the prison officers lost the closely contested match 7-6, Assistant Superintendent of Prisons Martin Oloro said the result was secondary to the message they were seeking to deliver.

“I want to appreciate the organisers of this event. We did receive the invitation to bring a team to come and showcase our talents at the County Prisons Service versus the youth of Kisumu,” Oloro said.

“Truth be said, our main key aim of being here is to inform the youth that we all belong to the same society, and the society must be so peaceful that we enjoy living in the same society,” he said.

Arnold Maroko, captain of the Kisumu Central team and a police officer attached to Nyalenda Police Station, said the victory over Mbogi was more than just a football win, describing the match as an opportunity to strengthen relations between police officers and young people.

“The main aim is to bring the community and the police together so that the community does not look at police as enemies. Through such engagements, we can build trust and work together to fight insecurity in Kisumu.”

 Maroko said regular interactions through sport could help police officers and young people understand each other better and create a safer community.