Youth and organized groups contribute to over 70% violence in Nakuru

Youth and organized groups contributed to 73% of all violence occurring in Nakuru Town according to a report launched on Thursday in a Nakuru Hotel.

The launch

The report titled “Urban Violence in Nakuru: A research report on root causes, risk factors, and preventive strategies” is a result of a research that was carried out in four urban estates in Nakuru town.

The report showed that 37% of the violence perpetrators were the youth and 36% by organized groups. Assuming that the youth constituted most members of the organized groups, it emerges that over 70% of violence is metted out by young people.

The research that was carried out in Bondeni, Freearea, London and Kaptembwa estates also identified violence perpetrated in the domestic sphere and by police with 18% and 5% respondents respectively.

According to Mr. Luchetu Likaka the lead researcher in the program, the research had involved 680 households picked at random.

Mr. Henry Kiambati DCIO Nakuru who has participated in the project activities officially launched the report.

The research was a partnership between Midrift Human Rights Network which is an NGO based in Nakuru, the Danish Institute against Torture (DIGNITY) and the Independent Medico-Legal Unit (IMLU).

According to Likaka, the research showed that a lot of people do not trust the local initiative son security.

“It emerged that a lot of people do not trust the County Peace Committees and the Nyumba Kumi initiative with mistrust levels at 75.7% and 47% respectively,” said Mr. Likaka.

Youth complain of police harassment

Youth in Nakuru East Ward in Nakuru West sub-county have decried the harassment by police officers terming it as an unfair treatment.

Participants during the Prevention of Urban Violence at Freearea Social Hall

Speaking at Freearea Social Hall on Friday during an Urban Violence Prevention workshop, the youth who formed a large percent of those in attendance complained that they are misunderstood and judged and treated unfairly by the community and authorities.

“As a member of an entertainment troupe, my dressing hair and dressing style may be different from the norm but this does not mean am a criminal,” complained Benson Kimani who leads an entertainment group in the area.

Kimani further added that many of the functions they attend are held at night so they should not be termed as lazy idlers if they are free during the day.

“Sometimes we have functions that run the whole weekend up to Wednesday and when you find us talking in the streets, it’s not that we are lazy, we’ve worked and are now catching up with our social life,” added Kimani.

Another young man, Samuel Mburu said that sometimes high school students have to be in school up to around 6:30 PM and they sometimes get home after 7:00 PM.

“I was once arrested and spent the whole night in the police cell when I met police in patrol. I was still in my school uniform and had my school bag with me but the police officers did not want to reason with me. I was only released in the morning without charges and went to school very late,” lamented Samuel.

The Urban Violence Forum was organized by the Midrift Human Rights Network in conjunction with the local administration including Nyumba Kumi leaders and the police.

In attendance were members of the civil society, area chief, assistant county commissioner and senior police bosses from the area.