In the populous estate of Umoja in Nairobi's Eastlands, a disturbing new trend has emerged, one that has thrown residents into deep anxiety.
A group of teenage boys, some as young as 10, have begun organising themselves into what they call mbogi, loosely translated as "crew".
Unlike the playful groups of children residents are accustomed to seeing in neighbourhoods, these boys have adopted the mannerisms and tactics of dangerous street gangs.
They fight in public, record videos of themselves brandishing knives and machetes, and post the clips on social media, stoking fear among locals.
One widely circulated video shows a young boy, identified only as Carlos, believed to be the leader of the teen gang. In the clip, he grips a machete outside a PlayStation gaming shop, his face tense and movements aggressive, as though ready to strike. Around him, other boys watch in anticipation.
The sight of school-going children carrying weapons has shocked the community.
According to residents, the menace has been brewing for months but exploded into public attention after the videos went viral.
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"Everyone is talking about it now, but for us, it is something we have been seeing. These boys have their own system of operation. They will try to recruit you, and if you refuse, they attack. If you were once part of them and you try to leave, they also come for you. They punish deserters, intimidate unwilling recruits, and create fear in the estate," says Peter Nyawanda, a community leader in Umoja.
According to Nyawanda, the gangs are a new phenomenon that is growing alarmingly fast.
"At first, we did not know the form it was taking. We thought they were just mischievous children fighting among themselves. But when knives and machetes came into play, with the kids recording themselves like adult criminals, that is when we realized this is something bigger. Some of these children even come from neighbouring estates like Komarock, Donholm and Kayole, but the violence is concentrated here in Umoja," he explains.
Serious injuries
Community meetings are now being held almost every week to discuss the menace. Parents are raising concerns, and young people themselves are living in fear of their peers.
The matter became grave recently when a 15-year-old boy died after a fight with his peers. Reports indicated that the boys were fighting over a ring. The altercation escalated into violence, and the boy sustained serious injuries. The victim, who was in Form Two, was rushed to the hospital, where he died.
Although police have insisted that the incident was separate from the gang activities, the death that happened in the same neighbourhood has fueled fears that teen violence is spiralling out of control.
"That boy was too young to die like that. It is painful to lose a child to senseless violence. Even if the police say it is not directly related to the gangs, the truth is that our children are living in an environment of violence. Whether it is a gang fight or a personal dispute, the culture of violence is taking root," said Carolyne Achieng, a mother in Umoja.
Achieng herself has been a victim. Her son, an 18-year-old Form Four student, was assaulted by a group of boys calling themselves mbogi.
"I was in the house when my son was attacked by many boys. I rushed out, but there was little I could do. They were too many. He was hit on the eye and injured badly. We rushed him to hospital where he was stitched, and thank God he is now recovering," she says.
Her son narrowly escaped blindness. "We feared the worst because the eye had turned red. What scares us most is that they may target him again," says Achieng.
She was not able to reach out to the parents of the boys involved.
"I tried to look for them, but I could not find them. As a parent, if you hear your child is involved in such activities, do not defend them. Investigate and take action. These are small boys, yes, but if not stopped now, they will grow into a deadly problem in the community," says Achieng.
According to Wycliffe Muganda, who is a community leader in Umoja, at a recent meeting, one father revealed how his son was stabbed.
"The boy should be in school, but now he is at home with injuries. These gangs do not care. If they see you with a chain, a nice watch, or even a belt, they will take it by force," notes Muganda.
Drugs factor
Idleness, poverty, unemployment, and lack of mentorship, and video game shops have been identified as some of the factors fueling teenage violence. PlayStation shops are particularly blamed for encouraging idleness.
"If we could regulate or even ban some of them, it would help. These places are where some of the boys spend the whole day instead of going to school or helping their parents. They learn bad behaviour there," says Muganda.
As the gangs get emboldened each passing day, there is concern that some of the boys are already experimenting with drugs.
"You see a 12-year-old walking around with bhang. How? Who is selling it to them? These things contribute to their boldness and violence," laments Muganda.
The videos of gangs fighting are often shared widely on TikTok and WhatsApp. This, Muganda notes, glamorises the violence and encourages others to join, and the desire for fame and recognition pushes young boys into deviant behaviour.
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The emergence of mbogi is causing tensions among parents who have been living in harmony.
"When a parent is told 'your son has killed mine,' where do you even start? It brings enmity among us. Families are breaking apart because of the shame, the anger, the pain. This is why we must act fast," says Muganda.
The police are well aware of the situation. A senior officer at the Buruburu Police Station, who spoke to The Nairobian, said investigations are ongoing and that a possible ringleader had already been identified.
"From the video, there appears to be one boy leading. We even went to his home, but he has since disappeared. The parents know this," the officer said.
But the officer was quick to add that the problem is bigger than law enforcement. "This issue is not for the police alone; it is a societal issue. By the time kids record themselves brandishing knives, we must ask, 'Where are the parents? Where do they get the phones?' These children are underage. So society must intervene," he stated.
According to Muganda, the leadership in the area has had a sit-down with the chief, assistant chief, and the assistant county commissioner over the matter
He is appealing to parents to monitor their children closely, especially during school holidays when the gangs become more active.
Nyawanda warns that if the phenomenon is not nipped in the bud, the teen gangs could evolve into full-fledged criminal groups like Mungiki and Gaza, both of which have roots in Eastlands.
"These gangs start small, but if ignored, they mature into violent groups that even the police struggle to control. Stopping them early is easier than dealing with them later," observes Nyawanda.
Children who feel abandoned or hopeless will look for belonging, and gangs provide that. The local community is trying to handle such cases through mentoring neglected children and, where possible, linking them to opportunities.
In Umoja, residents at the moment are living in fear, unsure when the next incident will happen. Parents are holding their children closer, worried that the same streets they once considered safe playgrounds are now breeding grounds for violence.
"We want our children back. We want them in school, in church, playing football, doing positive things. Not walking around with knives, recording themselves like criminals. If we fail now, we will regret for years to come," says Muganda.
Nyawanda feels that the rise of mbogi in Umoja and surrounding neighbourhoods is more than just a story about teenage mischief, but a reflection of deeper issues in the society, which include parental neglect, poverty, idleness, peer pressure, and the dangerous pull of social media fame.
According to him, unless urgent action is taken, the small boys of today could become the hardened criminals of tomorrow.
