Murkomen to camp in Coast as Juvenile gangs terrorise residents

Following the wave of crime in some parts of Coast where panga-wielding gangs have been terrorising locals and tourists, Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen will camp in the region for a week.

Murkomen will from Monday tour all the six Coast counties where he is expected to get first-hand information on the emerging security challenges.

In the recent past, the machete gangs have defied security apparatus in Mombasa, Kilifi and Kwale where residents are now living in fear due to the audacity of the young criminals.

Residents have complained that some members of the gang wear masks while others do not bother to conceal their identity.

So vicious are the gangs that they maim victims even when not provoked. Several people including tourists are nursing injuries while others have succumbed.

Though police have managed to arrest hundreds of the criminals, fear has engulfed Mombasa, Kilifi and Kwale counties where Murkomen is expected to tour and hold a series of meetings to lay strategies of dealing with the machete gangs scaring away tourists.

According to the CS’s itinerary, he will assess the security situation in Coast region where he will engage local leaders, regional and county security teams, National Government Administration Officers and peace committees on strategies to enhance security, peace and cohesion.

He will also evaluate the level of disaster preparedness for extreme weather conditions due to climate change besides gathering feedback from residents on service delivery.

Murkomen is expected to interact with security personnel on the front line combating land and maritime threats, and inspect mobile ID cards registration rollout in Tana River, Lamu and Taita-Taveta.