Cases of petty crime drop in Naivasha

Cases of petty crime in and around Naivasha have dropped by over 80 percent following the move to recruit over 3,600 youths to the Kazi Mtaani initiative.

The programme that targets youths in informal settlement has been termed as a game-changer in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic that has left hundreds of people jobless.

Naivasha is among towns which have benefitted from the programme that is currently looking into issues of sanitation and rehabilitation of infrastructure.

According to Naivasha Sub-county Commissioner Mathioya Mbogo, Naivasha was one of the towns hardest hit by the pandemic.

He noted hundreds of workers in flower farms, hotels and tourism sector lost their jobs leading to a rise in crime incidents mainly in the informal settlements.

Mbogo said that the first phase of the programme targeted over 1,600 youths in Kihoto, Karagita, KCC and Kamere estates.

“We are now reaping from the benefits of this programme as cases of petty crime have dropped by over 80 percent in the last two months,” he said.

Speaking in his office on Wednesday, Mbogo added that the second phase saw an extra 2,000 youths enrolled in the programme.

“There is a major change in our drainage systems, bushes in estates have been cleared and many families are no longer sleeping hungry,” he said.

Mbogo at the same time said that the government had embarked on assisting families affected by HIV Aids. “In the first phase we had forgotten about persons living with HIV Aids and we have already identified 320 families which will receive support from the national government,” he said.

The chairman of Jubilee Party in Naivasha James Karimi praised the Kazi Mtaani initiative terming its implementation as timely.

“Many of these youths were engaged in petty crime as they sought a daily meal but with the government programme, we have seen a change in their behavior,” he said.

Karimi however expressed his concern over rising cases of teenage pregnancies mainly in the rural areas.