NAIROBI, Kenya – Nairobi County has been identified as Kenya’s largest hub of criminal gangs, with more than 130 groups operating across the city, according to a new security report submitted to President William Ruto on Tuesday.
The Jukwaa la Usalama Report warns that while gang activity is widespread nationwide, the threat is most acute in the capital, where criminal networks are increasingly implicated in political violence, kidnappings, extortion, and murder.
“Nairobi County, for example, has over 130 gangs alone. The activities of the gangs range from political violence, kidnapping, to murder. Some of the gangs are organised, while a majority are amorphous, only regrouping for assignments during elections,” the report notes.
Beyond Nairobi, the report highlights other counties facing similar security challenges, including Kakamega, Busia, Bungoma, Vihiga, Kisii, Homa Bay, Kisumu, Tana River, Trans Nzoia, Mombasa, Murang’a, and Machakos. These groups have disrupted social and economic stability, the report says.
Most gangs are relatively new, emerging due to political competition, urban unemployment, and weak community structures.
Older groups, such as Mungiki and the Mombasa Republican Council (MRC), now exist only in residual forms but remain under close surveillance.
The report notes that while gangs are concentrated in urban and peri-urban areas, some have penetrated rural communities, particularly in western and Rift Valley counties.
Their activities include violent disruptions of rallies, coercion of local populations, and enforcement of political loyalty.
Notorious gangs named in the report include Jeshi Jinga, 42 Brothers, M23, Kapenguria Six, and Usiku Sacco, as well as Nakuru-based Confirm and Watizeti gangs, which remain active in estates such as Kivumbini, Bondeni, and Rhonda.
Despite arrests and prosecutions, many gang members exhibit recidivism, returning to crime shortly after release.
However, authorities say intelligence-led operations have weakened some groups, particularly along the coast, where gangs like the Panga Boys have been curtailed through arrests, community sensitisation, rehabilitation, and vocational training programs.
The report also highlights the rise of land invasion gangs, which have seized private and public lands in counties including Machakos, Kilifi, and Mombasa.
Outfits such as Gaza, Team Mashamba, and Mawoza are reportedly employed by land grabbers to forcefully occupy land and mining sites.
The report calls on the government to intensify multi-agency interventions to restore peace and protect vulnerable communities in areas dominated by criminal networks.
