Diani: Interior and National Administration Cabinet Secretary (CS) Kipchumba Murkomen has initiated a comprehensive crackdown on organized criminal gangs across the country. He has commanded the Inspector General of Police to immediately begin tracking, dismantling, and neutralizing these gangs. Public servants, including National Government Officials (NGAOs) and police officers found aiding these criminal activities, face dismissal and prosecution.
According to Kenya News Agency, CS Murkomen emphasized that politicians who finance or benefit from these gangs’ operations are equally culpable. “Regardless of the office they hold or their social status, we will prosecute them,” he asserted during his address in Diani. The CS highlighted the critical need for swift and decisive action against these gangs, citing the catastrophic consequences of inaction.
CS Murkomen pointed out a disturbing trend of criminal gangs being financed by politicians to intimidate and suppress political opponents. He revealed that these gangs are armed with crude weapons and are now providing “security” to leaders while terrorizing their adversaries. Additionally, the gangs employ “keyboard warriors” to tarnish the reputations of other leaders on social media platforms.
The CS urged leaders to focus on employment creation and socio-economic empowerment for the unemployed youth rather than fostering chaos through criminal gangs. He expressed concern over the persistent threat posed by these gangs, particularly in urban areas and densely populated settlements where they exploit unemployed youth.
CS Murkomen detailed the gangs’ involvement in various criminal activities, including murders, robberies, land grabbing, cybercrimes, and extortion. He identified numerous gangs operating in different regions, such as Team Kazoo and Jeshi la Allah in Nairobi, Team Mashamba and Wakali Kwanza in the Coast region, and Mungiki in Central Kenya, among others.
The CS declared that Mungiki remains one of the most feared gangs in Kenya, originating in the late 1980s as a religious movement. At its peak in the early 2000s, Mungiki controlled various economic activities, including levying taxes in Mathare slums and controlling matatu routes.
CS Murkomen reaffirmed Kenya’s status as a democracy, condemning the use of gangs to gain undue political advantage. He assured that the government would protect and support police officers against criminal threats, ensuring their safety and maintaining public trust.