Calls for crackdown on gangs intensify

By George Orido

Security experts want the Government to take a decisive action to help end the growing insecurity in Kisumu ahead of March elections. Last week’s incident in which hordes of youths stormed a police station to demand the release of a suspect sparked fresh fears the town could plunge into violence akin to what was witnessed in 2007/ 2008 post election violence.

In the incident, several people, including a policeman, were injured in a confrontation. The youth had stormed the Kisumu central police station to demand the release of an ODM County ward aspirant, who had been arrested after he allegedly purchased 100 pangas and50 clubs from a supermarket.

Kisumu OCPD Musa Kongoli said they suspected the weapons were to be used in disrupting the just concluded nominations. The violence brought to the fore how police have been handling the existence of various gangs that have held the lakeside town at ransom.

Two gangs calling themselves American Marines and the China Squad have been ?ghting running and bloody battles in the town, resulting in massive destruction of property. Town residents are now demanding ?rm action against the gang members. There have been numerous cases of gangs taking over the city by invading and maliciously destroying businesses and taking over some of them. The gangs have also erected some structures in pure de?ance of council by-laws.

The groups also allegedly run extortionist rings including collecting levies from Matatu owners operating in all routes connecting the city to other places including Nairobi, Siaya, Busia, Kisii, Migori, Narok, Nakuru and Eldoret.

But most seriously they have been involved in physical assault of persons deemed to be rivals or a threat to their dominance, and to- date, all are walking free. Nyanza Provincial Police O?cer (PPO) Joseph ole Tito says police are doing everything possible to keep law and order in a city that has experienced some of the bloodiest violence in recent times. “When you are faced with a crowd invading a police station, I don’t think the police has been stopped from using live ?rearms to protect lives in danger,” he says.

According to Ole Tito, police  face a major challenge after arresting and arraigning suspects in court because of non-co-operation by complainants. “When we arrested members of the China Squad after a member of a rival gang reported an incident of assault, it is the same complainant who said he did not want to continue with the case,” says ole Tito.

He says it was also the same scenario when they arrested members of American marines after they were accused of destroying property of the rival gangs. “No one was ready to bear witness in court and as a result you have the suspects released.” Interestingly, members of both gangs accuse the other of compromising the police. “It is because of this that we went to set free one of our own when the police arrested him instead of his assailants,” explained one of American marine member who did not want to be named due to security reasons.

But Ole Tito denies this, giving example of recent arrest of one Boi, who was involved in a brawl with a member of the American marine at the United Mall. “We arrested a suspect and his accomplice and we took him to court. In fact, it is my o?cers who shot in the air to stop the ?ght. I hope the complainant will come forth to testify,” he says, adding that when it comes to crime there is nothing about America or

China, but an individual who has committed an offence and must be fully be accountable to their personal acts. Inside this complex dynamic are the ingredients of business rivalry, crime, drugs, illegal trade, bribery, extortionist rings and raw violence, whose role like in a nuclear station enriches uranium to highly lethal and catastrophic levels.

Plaguing youth unemployment in Kisumu and Nyanza in general that is well over the national average of 60 per cent is the opium that ignites all the insanity and if not addressed sooner than later is a recipe for social and political disaster. At stake are millions of shillings collected from Public Service Vehicles (PSV), business stalls, rent, land deals, butchery outlets, car hire business, construction, prestige among other entrepreneurial endeavors and interests.

Caught in the cross?re are genuine and law abiding business men and women as well as innocent residents going on with their businesses. A dented image of Kisumu as a safe business hub for investment is also in the o?ng.

While the gangs have been in existence for some time now, their potential threat to national security came to the fore when the so- called American Marines stormed the Kisumu Police Station to free one of their members

Stephen alias Mada who was arrested and placed in custody for alleged assault and malicious damage to property. It turned out that Mada had just been at the police station to report a physical assault against members of the China Squad who had accosted and beaten him on September 23 in Nairobi.

Both gangs had travelled to Nairobi the previous day to watch Gor Mahia Vs. beat arch- rivals AFC Leopards match. Members of the two gangs have connections with politicians who hire them for odd jobs.