NAIROBI, Kenya – A majority of homicide cases in Kenya are concentrated in urban informal settlements, with criminal gangs, drug abuse and youth unemployment emerging as key drivers, a new state study has revealed.
The findings are contained in a report by the National Crime Research Centre (NCRC) titled Study on Homicides in Kenya, which examined whether killings are concentrated in specific locations amid a perceived rise in homicide cases in 2024.
While the study notes that killings can occur anywhere, it found that most homicides were heavily clustered in poorer urban neighbourhoods, particularly informal settlements and adjacent areas.
“In all the urban areas, data from the police and field interviews confirm that homicides were largely concentrated in the poorer neighbourhoods and, in particular, informal settlements and slums,” the report says, adding that killings in affluent neighbourhoods were described as “very rare” by both police officers and residents interviewed.
Eastlands dominate Nairobi cases
In Nairobi County, the report found that about 70 per cent of homicide cases occurred in Starehe and Kamukunji, as well as parts of Kariobangi, Kayole, Mathare, Embakasi, Njiru and Kasarani — areas largely forming the city’s Eastlands region.
In Mombasa, homicide hotspots were identified as Likoni and Kisauni, while in neighbouring Kilifi County, most cases were recorded in Ganze, Magarini, Kaloleni, Chonyi and Kilifi North.
Kiambu County’s homicide cases were mainly concentrated in informal settlements in Thika, including Kiandutu, Kiganjo, Umoja and Majengo. In Nyeri Central, Blue Valley, Witemere and Majengo neighbourhoods emerged as hotspots.
Gangs, drugs and violence
According to the study, many of the killings in these neighbourhoods were linked to organised criminal gangs, with drug abuse cited as a major trigger for violence.
“The study teams were told that many gang members are drug users and many times will resort to violence and killings as they rob individuals for money to fuel their addiction,” the report states.
In Mombasa and Kilifi, gangs such as Rejected Gang, Wakali Kwanza and One-Man Soldier were highlighted, with members commonly referred to as Mapangale due to their use of machetes.
In Kisumu County, the notorious Tindo gang, known for wielding metal bars, was identified as being behind night-time attacks in urban areas.
The findings reinforce earlier NCRC research that identified more than 100 organised criminal gangs operating across the country, with high concentrations in Nairobi, Mombasa, Nakuru and Kiambu.
Idle youth and economic pressures
The Centre noted that poor urban areas also attract criminals who are not necessarily gang members but engage in violent crime that can result in deaths.
“These areas are also where there are high numbers of idle and jobless youth easily available for hire as killers,” the report adds.
The study further found that some urban development projects have inadvertently worsened youth vulnerability by disrupting informal livelihoods.
In Kisumu, for example, the city’s beautification programme reportedly led to the closure of youth-run informal businesses, restricted hawking in the central business district and relocated markets out of town.
“This has inadvertently led to the rise of violent and murderous youth gangs around Kisumu who can kill for anything, sometimes in broad daylight,” the report says.
Social pressures and vulnerable women
According to the NCRC, exposure to social media and technology has also fuelled aspirations for fast wealth and luxurious lifestyles among young people, pushing some into gangs and drug abuse.
This vulnerability, the report notes, is compounded by weakening family structures and lack of social support as young people migrate to urban centres.
While stressing that poverty does not automatically lead to homicide, the Centre warned that economic desperation increases risk, particularly for young women.
The study documented cases in Nairobi’s Njiru and Kasarani areas, as well as Kilifi North, where young women were lured into dangerous situations linked to commercial sex work and human trafficking, resulting in killings.
