Organized Criminal Gangs and Insecurity in Nairobi City County, Kenya.
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Date
2025-05
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Kenyatta University
Abstract
The problem of organized criminal gangs and related consequences is a serious problem in many cities around the world. This study conducted in Nairobi City County investigated factors contributing to the proliferation of criminal gangs, nature of organized criminal gang crimes, public perceptions on the policies and strategies to combat organised criminal gangs’ crimes, and challenges facing elimination of the organized criminal gangs and their activities in the county. Specifically, the study was conducted in Kawangware, Kibera, Eastleigh, Kamukunji, Makadara, Kayole, and Dandora. The study was guided by social disorganization theory and rational choice Theory, and adopted descriptive survey design. Both quantitative and qualitative methods of data collection were used through the application of questionnaires and interviews with the key informants. The target population comprised of adults who have been victims of criminal gang activities, and police officers, national government administration officers (NGAO), youth leaders, religious leaders and civil societies representatives as key informants. A sample size of 220 individuals was determined based on a table developed by Krejcie and Morgan (1970). Both purposive and simple random sampling procedures were used in selection of the participants, and a pilot study conducted in Mukuru Kwa Njenga. Quantitative data was analysed using SPSS software version 25, while the relationship between the variables was analysed using regression. Content analysis was used to analyse qualitative data. On factors responsible for the proliferation of organized criminal gangs a majority of the respondents at 42.9% pinpointed poverty, while 32.1% blamed it on lack of education and employment opportunities but, some 26.8% indicated inadequate social support systems. On the nature of organized criminal gang crimes, the most commonly reported types of crime are pick-pocketing at 52.7%, armed robbery at 19.6%, mugging 16.1% and burglary incidents at 11.6%. The majority of the respondents at 73.2% indicated that the level of these crimes committed by organized criminal gangs in last five years has gone up. On frequency of the organized criminal gang crimes, the respondents at 65.2% indicted that gang mugging is the most frequent, followed by pick-pocketing at 40.2% and burglary at 38.4%. On public perception of the current policies and strategies used to combat organized criminal gangs’ crime 42.9% rated the police responses as “poor” while 26.8% rated police responses as “inappropriate. Only 18.8% rated the police response towards crime as “Good” against 11.6% who believed that police responses were appropriate. The study established that the challenges facing elimination of organized criminal gangs and their activities are corruption in the police, political interference, poor communication, lack of information sharing, inadequate community engagement by law enforcement agencies, and insufficient funding. To control the problem of organized criminal gangs, the study recommends that the government should alleviate poverty, create employment opportunities, increase funding to the police and enhance its independence to curb political meddling. The public should also be sensitized on the increased criminal gang activities and the nature of crimes perpetrated so as to take necessary precaution, and corporate with law enforcement agencies. The Kenya police service should also improve on its public image and eradicate corruption and misconduct from its ranks. There is also urgent need to invest in fostering positive police-community relations.
Description
A Research Project Submitted to the School of Law, Arts and Social Sciences in Partial Fulfilment of the Requirement for the Award of the Degree of Master of Security Management and Police Studies of Kenyatta University, May 2025.
Supervisor
John Omboto