Nyumba Kumi initiative picks up in Kisumu

BY KEVINE OMOLLO

KISUMU, KENYA: The Nyumba Kumi initiative in Kisumu County has moved a notch higher with various stakeholders committing their participation.

The county’s security organs, county government, public and the private sector have expressed interest in supporting the initiative months after it failed to pick up effectively in the region due to strong opposition by a section of political leaders from the region who termed it a move towards creating a police state.

Two weeks ago, the County Security Committee trained and released 60 people to the villages in a flagship project to be used as the agents of information concerning insecurity in the county.

According to County Police Commandant David Ng’etich, the 60 people drawn from National Administration, religious leaders and opinion leaders are expected to train more people on handling information on the changing forms of crime and relaying to the security organs.

Ng’etich however advised that the members of the community owns the idea and give it a name which they deem will make it relevant.

“We have discovered that Kenyans work perfectly on what they own hence we have sent the 60 people to train more so that it remains theirs,” said Ng’etich.

The challenge of implementing the Nyumba Kumi initiative, according to National Administrators and security organs in the region is lack of knowledge on the initiative.

The programme launched will enable members of the community to identify particular security issues they have and report to police and the National Administrators.

“If it is police laxity, burglary, organised gangs or poor relationship between police and public we will handle each of them amicably,” added Ng’etich.