NAIROBI, Kenya, Feb 12 – Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen has warned of a rising threat from organized criminal gangs as the country gears up for the 2027 General Elections, citing concerns over youth recruitment into violent networks in urban and peri-urban areas.
Addressing the National Assembly during a Speaker’s Kamukunji on the state of national security on Thursday, Murkomen said that while the country’s overall security situation remains generally stable,emerging criminal trends including gang activity pose a serious risk to public safety and political stability ahead of the 2027 General Election.
“The Country continues to face threats from organized criminal gangs, mainly in urban areas and densely populated settlements,” Murkomen told the House.
“The gangs are largely composed of unemployed youth who are attracted to criminal gangs for profit from illicit activities.”
He singled out the emergence of a group known as ‘Team Mbogi,’ which surfaced in 2025 and has been operating in parts of Umoja and surrounding peri-urban areas of Nairobi. Arrests linked to the gang involved suspects aged between 13 and 22 years, pointing to what the CS described as a troubling rise in juvenile involvement in organized crime.
Murkomen attributed the growth of gangs to a mix of unemployment, school truancy, substance abuse and political hooliganism fueled by incitement. He warned that criminal elements and hired goons could exploit heightened political activity in the run-up to the next General Election.
“There is heightened political activity ahead of the 2027 General Elections, carrying inherent security risks, particularly from criminal elements and hired goons whose tool of trade is violence against opponents,” he said.
According to the CS, criminal gangs continue to adapt their tactics, including the use of motorcycles in robberies and related offences, particularly in informal settlements and rapidly expanding peri-urban areas.
To counter the threat, the Government has intensified intelligence-led operations targeting gang networks, resulting in arrests and prosecutions. Murkomen said authorities are also revitalizing community policing initiatives to strengthen collaboration between residents and law enforcement agencies.
Other measures include engaging local leaders to address root causes of gang recruitment, cracking down on drug trafficking syndicates and illicit brews, and taking disciplinary action against any security officers found abetting criminal activity.
However, Murkomen acknowledged persistent challenges, including inadequate rehabilitation and reintegration programmes for reformed gang members, high rates of repeat offending, and reluctance by communities to share information for fear of retaliation.
“Limited alternative livelihood opportunities, especially for vulnerable youth, increase their risk of recruitment by criminal gangs and networks,” he noted.
Beyond gang activity, the CS outlined a broader security landscape marked by transnational organized crime, cyber-enabled fraud, terrorism threats in the North Eastern region and Boni Enclave, and banditry in parts of North Rift and Upper Eastern.
Murkomen said the Government is responding through the recruitment of 10,000 additional police constables, modernization of equipment, expanded cybercrime investigative capacity and enhanced inter-agency collaboration.
