Why ‘jungle justice’ is prevalent in slums – Nairobi News

Living in slums (as lower income residential areas are commonly referred to) brings forth unique challenges, particularly for young individuals, including teenagers, who often find themselves in a state of limbo, making evading crime nearly impossible.

The striking poverty rates exacerbate the situation, pushing many young people into businesses such as selling plastics and scrap metals, which fail to provide sufficient income.

Consequently, some turn to crime as a means of survival.

Growing up in the slum exposes many to peer pressure and the allure of joining gangs.

The constant hunger, lack of money and basic needs while seeing your friends enjoy basic necessities like clothes and food becomes unbearable and before long you find yourself joining a gang.

The inhabitants of slums take matters into their own hands, rather than waiting for the police to address issues.

This vigilantism often results in deadly consequences, and the police are left to retrieve the corpses.

Unemployment is rampant among the youth, leading to idleness and desperation for survival. Consequently, many young people turn to crime to sustain their lifestyles.

Drug abuse, particularly marijuana, is prevalent among the youth in the slums. Despite occasional police raids on drug-selling shacks, the usage persists.

Jobless young individuals feel compelled to find a way to purchase drugs, even resorting to robbery or snatching to afford them.

Young men coming from the slums are often branded as thieves, making them easy targets for gangs looking for scapegoats.

Overall, the combination of poverty, limited opportunities, drug abuse, and mob justice creates a challenging environment for the youth in the slums, leading some of them down destructive paths.

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