Report: Defilement, fights, drugs and theft top crime list

A sample of hard drugs that are mostly abused. [Getty Images] People who fought on the streets or assaulted others formed the bulk of offenders charged in court in the last financial year. Data by the National Council of Administration of Justice (NCAJ) indicates that 25 per cent of those arrested and/or prosecuted in 2022/2023 were accused of committing such offences. The number of persons engaging in fights and those who caused public nuisance rose by more than 1,000. In the previous financial year, there were 22,899 cases while the year that ended in July recorded 23,875 cases. Another 18 per cent of Kenyans who were brought to book were caught or were suspected of stealing. This was an increase of more than 4,000, from 13,142 to 17,386. Chief Justice Martha Koome, who chairs NCAJ, indicated that the crime curve had surged from 85,539 in the 202/2022 to 97,301 cases in 2022/2023. With 61,915 population, 33,787 of them men, the CJ said prisons need an urgent intervention to decongest them. From the data, nearly half of those in jails are remandees, meaning they were denied bail or were unable to raise the amounts or bonds demanded for release while awaiting trial. The number of men and women who were handed sentences of less than one month was 12,767 and 1,209 respectively. Those with a month to two years were 37,928 men and 6,487 women. Convicts slapped with sentences above two years were 70,073 and 573 men and women respectively. There were 318 men and seven women who were handed life sentences. Only one woman, compared to 93 men, was handed a death sentence. Those caught for indecent assault, incest, sodomy, defilement and rape were 7,259, a decrease from 7,663. Defilement remained the bulk of the cases at 78 per cent, while rape constituted 12 per cent. The data released yesterday also raised a red flag on the use of dangerous drugs. The number of those arrested surged by 2,000, with 8,077 cases reported in the 2022/2023 year. Another crime that attracted a high number of persons is break-ins, with 6,740 incidents reported. Corruption and murder cases remained relatively constant, with 3,102 homicide incidents being reported, and EACC receiving 5,349 complaints. In the meantime, Nairobi, Kiambu and Nakuru are hot spots for child violence. The counties registered 23,261, 12,271 and 10,457 cases respectively. There were 188,760 children reported to have experienced various forms of violence. The safest county for a child was Nandi, with 517 cases. Murang'a, with 276 cases, Nakuru (236) and Kericho (182) had the highest number of truant children. Tana River, Uasin Gishu, Wajir, Vihiga, Turkana, Trans Nzoia and Laikipia had the best-behaved children.

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Report: Defilement, fights, drugs and theft top crime list

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