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Poverty and lack of jobs have been blamed for the rise of violent gangs in the city.
A 2018 report by Peaceworks on Advancing Youth-led Peace-building says the problems are extreme in slums such as Kibera, Korogocho, Mathare and Mukuru.
“Various reasons have been identified as influencing youth involvement in crime, but poverty and survival are primary drivers,” it says.
Peaceworks engages youth leaders as partners in peacebuilding in marginalised communities mired in violent extremism.
It says many young people drop out of school and have to seek means to survive. They resort to violent crimes for lack of opportunities. Other problems are corruption and discrimination, the lobby says.
“More than 50 per cent of all convicted criminals in Kenya are young males between 16 and 25. Most of the crimes they commit are financially motivated,” the report adds.
It says many people, especially in the poor neighbourhoods, have lost faith in the government because of high insecurity and police brutality.
Slum dwellers live in constant fear because police use violence and intimidation to promote the government’s security agenda, the report says.
“This leads to active resistance. Young people join gangs and radical groups to secure some degree of protection and defence,” the report reads.
Informal settlements are spiralling because of weak economic growth, uneven access to development and growing populations. The lack of other viable settlement areas for those still migrating to the city worsens the situation.
The document says more than 60 per cent of city residents live in informal settlements, where most families spend less than Sh100 a day.
High land costs and tedious acquisition procedures make it difficult for them to own plots.
“More than 2.5 million people live in about 200 informal settlements across the city, yet the areas occupy just six per cent of Nairobi’s land area.
“Because service delivery by the government is poor, employment, health, education and security are not enough to meet the needs of these growing populations,” the report says.
It highlights countermeasures to prevent violent crimes. They include involvement in sports, human rights advocacy, creative arts, peace clubs, civic education and peer learning.
Others are inspirational talks, entrepreneurship training programmes and church events that lead to positive transformation and increased participation in governance and community development.
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