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Pain of a Kenyan slum dweller under criminal gangs and police

“The finding that most of the violence is perpetrated at household level by people in the neighbourhood is an issue that needs consideration in the emerging national government policing initiatives like community policing and Nyumba Kumi, especially the vetting criteria for members of those initiatives,” IMLU recommends.

The fact that law enforcement agencies and actors (police, Nyumba Kumi, chiefs) are mentioned as perpetrators and or accomplices in perpetration of violence requires policing initiatives to consider independent complaints and oversight mechanisms at community level to ensure compliance with the law, Kiama says.

The report indicates that there is “an urgent need for government and NGOs to address every day violence amongst the urban poor, since this tends to feed into widespread violence during electioneering period.”

“Such violence that most respondents do not report include threats, intimidation, kicks, slaps, punches whipping by police officers since they regard this as normal,” it reads.

A trend observed in the report shows that slum dwellers do not report ‘minor’ injuries from criminal gangs, “As they can live with this.”

Instead, they report ‘serious’ injuries like broken limbs or those that lead to hospitalization.

“Human rights organizations with the mandate to address violence including torture, and ill-treatment need to develop stronger linkages with communities in their prevention and response interventions, including awareness on provisions regarding law enforcement and the conduct of law enforcement agencies,” the report further recommends.

It also urges slum communities to strengthen their mechanisms for protection of vulnerable members from violence especially by known persons from within their neighbourhoods.

As indicated in the story, youths have started a trend of ‘worshipping’ their colleagues, mostly those who were killed by police officers.

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“There is need to address the emerging hero worship of suspects who have been shot dead by police, as this not only risks legitimization of lawlessness but also serves to further alienate law enforcement officers and deny them of the much needed partnership with the community in dealing with violence,” the report lead Investigator Catrine Shroff says.

A Chief Inspector of police, working in the informal sectors of Nairobi acknowledges the trend.

“It is happening but police will continue fighting all criminal gangs,” he says. “If only you know what they do, you will never question when police deal with them ruthlessly.”

He goes ahead to give an example of well known criminal gangs like Gaza, operating in Kayole.

“The group has a membership of youths ranging from 12-18 years,” he explains.

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