In Kitale, the streets are now ruled by fear and crime, the government is nowhere to be found.
A wave of gang violence is turning Kitale’s informal settlements into no-go zones after dark, with teenage gangs, armed with pangas and knives, terrorising residents.
The teen gangs who move in packs, arrive on unregistered motorbikes, and strike under the cover of darkness, leaving behind a trail of blood, fear, and broken lives.
From local businesses to boda boda riders to pool-playing youths, no one is safe as the gangs unleash terror across densely populated neighborhoods like Matisi, Mitume, Kipsongo, Tuwan, and Kisumu Ndogo, which have seen growing criminal activity, with innocent people losing property, safety, and even lives.
Workers construct a drainage in Kitale town, Trans Nzoia County on the Kitale-Endebess-Suam-Uganda road which is under construction on October 24, 2022.
Traders and market vendors remain especially vulnerable to attacks by gangs posing as bodaboda riders in the emerging, disturbing pattern of gang-related violence.
In the past week, more than 30 people from Tuwan and Matisi areas alone have reported attacks, many with severe panga wounds.
A local trader from Machinjoni is nursing deep cuts on his head after being ambushed and robbed in a violent attack while driving home at 11pm on Sunday.
And just last Saturday, Mr Emmanuel Mboya, 25, and his friends were enjoying a game of pool at Goro Sports Arena in Machinjoni estate when their evening turned into a nightmare.
Around 8pm, a group of about 30 youths riding unregistered motorcycles stormed the local leisure spot. Armed with pangas, they attacked patrons, leaving several injured and robbed their victims and shops, including a local butchery, before disappearing into the night.
“We were playing pool when these young men came and started attacking us. The police arrived hours later, but instead of helping, they beat us,” recounted Mr Mboya, who is nursing head injuries and unable to resume his daily work.
In Kitale, the streets are now ruled by fear and crime, the government is nowhere to be found.
Mr Alfred Juma, another victim, lost a phone worth Sh28,000 during the Saturday attack.
Residents in Kitale’s informal settlements, including Matisi, Mitume, Site and Service, Kisumu Ndogo, and neighboring slums, are reporting repeated assaults by teenage gangs that operate in organized units locally known as ‘Mbogi,’ armed with pangas, knives, and crude weapons.
The gangs, aged between 15 and 25, operate under the cover of darkness, moving in packs and often wear helmets or caps to hide their identities.
“These gangs are ruthless. They pounce on anyone they find after dusk. We live in fear because the police response is slow and inadequate, said Ms Emmah Mideva, a mobile salonist who was also attacked recently.
Local youth leaders are raising alarms over the escalating violence and are calling on security agencies to launch decisive operations to dismantle the gangs.
Mr Brian Khisa, a local youth leader, accused police of laxity and called for a security operation to weed out the criminal gangs said to be hiding in the slums and curb the growing insecurity.
“We are losing people here every week to gangs, and the government is not doing anything. We want a serious crackdown to ensure our safety. People are being attacked and injured every week,” he said at a security meeting at Machinjoni this week.
Recruitment of juvenile gangs often takes place during school holidays, exposing more youth to crime
Residents demand a security operation targeting criminal gangs and rogue boda boda riders, said to be offering logistical support to the criminals.
They point accusing fingers at unnamed political figures said to be enabling the gangs. They are said to be using them for protection during political rallies, which has allowed the criminals to grow bolder.
“Some leaders have been using these gangs. They bail these gang members out after arrests, and this has only made the gangs more dangerous,” alleged Mr Paul Kidero, a Kisumu Ndogo resident.
Tuwan Ward Member of County Assembly Mr Daddy Were, accused security officers of negligence amid the rising crime wave.
A man holds a machete.
He said women and traders are the hardest hit, with the criminals striking as early as 7 pm, particularly in Mitume and Tuwan, now seen as gang strongholds.
He appealed to Interior Cabinet picSecretary Mr Kipchumba Murkomen to intervene, noting that the situation was worsening.
“We want to tell the CS that we have a problem in Kitale and it demands urgent attention because we cannot allow our people to continue dying in silence,” he said at a community meeting in Kisumu Ndogo this week.
Local businesses have taken a hit as a result of the growing crime wave, with traders in Kitale town reporting losses from theft and declining customer turnout due to security fears.
Kenya National Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KNCCI) Kitale branch Titus Chairperson, Mr Killong, warned that the rising violence threatens to drive away investors and cripple the local economy.
He said the business community is working closely with security teams, but called for more night patrols and sustained operations in known gang hotspots.
“We are working with security teams to ensure patrols are strengthened, especially during the night,” he said.
According to Trans Nzoia West sub-County Police Commander Erick Ngetich, approximately 174 suspects had been arrested by Wednesday, September 3, in an intelligence-led, multi-agency operation targeting criminal gangs in Kitale.
Among those arrested were 14 suspected gang leaders believed to be behind a recent wave of criminal activity in the area. The arrests followed a well-coordinated raid across several hotspots, including Umoja, Kisumu Ndogo, Tuwan, Bondeni, and Mitume.
“Yesterday, on Wednesday, we arrested 64 suspects who we believe are part of these gangs that are out to attack innocent residents,” Mr Ngetich told Daily Nation.
He said all suspects are currently being held at Kitale Police Station, where they are undergoing profiling and processing ahead of court arraignment, as the crackdown continues.
Police investigations also revealed that some of the suspects are linked to notorious gangs such as Mbogi Mawe and Transformer, and that some gang members are believed to have fled to neighboring countries after committing crimes.
“We are also investigating their network of operations because we suspect they fled to Uganda to hide after their criminal activities,” added the sub-county police boss.
