In the recent years, Kenya has seen a surge in criminal activities orchestrated by organized gangs comprising of members living in low-income estates across the country.
Most gangs are made up of teenage boys who are either in school or have dropped out of school.
According to the National Crime Research Centre, an agency under the Ministry of Interior, the number of gangs in the country rose from 33 in 2010 to 326 by 2017.
In this article, WoK looks at Kenya’s criminal gangs and which areas they operate from.
Confirm
Confirm gang operates from Nakuru County.
The gang which was outlawed in 2016 is said to be behind the surge in the heinous crimes that were being reported in the county.
Not much was known about the gang until 2022 when the gangs took their operations to higher levels which left residents in shock and fear.
This led to the arrest of Jackson Maruche alias Rogers, the leader of Watizedi gang, a splinter group of Confirm.
Wakali Kwanza
Wakali Kwanza gang is among the most dreaded organized gangs that operated from Kisauni and Nyali constituencies.
In 2017 and early 2018, the gang used to attack passengers in public service vehicles and rob them of valuables.
However, they abandoned the scheme after a number of gang members were killed by a special police squad, they started raiding business premises and passersby.
Sungu Sungu
Sungu Sungu gang started as an approved vigilante group given approval by the police to help fight crime as a community policing organ in the 1990s.
It later transformed into a terror gang operating in Kisii.
The group is said to be ruthless in executing their suspects, and they are also reportedly used as a hit squad to settle political scores, business rivalries or family and land disputes.
Wajukuu wa Bibi
Wajukuu wa Bibi is another organized criminal gang operating from Kisauni and Likoni constituencies in Mombasa County.
In April 2019, the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) placed two MCAs on their radar over claims that they sponsored the gang.
DCI said the two were trafficking drugs to finance the two criminal groups, adding that they have been buying the drugs from well-known drug barons then using local youths in distributing the drugs.
In 2018, two machete-wielding gangsters operating under Wajukuu wa Bibi were shot dead in Likoni as they planned to stage a robbery.
Marachi Jobless
Marachi Jobless gang has its roots in Marachi Estate in the outskirts of Busia Town, Busia County where they conduct their operations.
The estate is widely known as a smuggling zone with the gang controlling the operation, causing discomfort to genuine business vendors in the town.
The gang is also hired by politicians during campaigns.
Kibera Battalion
Kibera has the highest concentration of gangs in the city, a report by the National Crime Research Centre (NCRC) showed.
Kibera Battalion has previously been linked to politicians who seek their services during the campaign period.
The gang has also been linked to matatu extortions within informal settlement areas and illegal water and electricity connectivity.
