Development of crime prevention schemes

1. Development of crime prevention schemes Preventive and Reactive Dynamics in Kakamega Goal: Increasing the capacity of local communities in crime prevention.

2. Challenges of the study • Government agencies asking for money in order to share information • Identity of the enumerators for credibility • Negative attitude that communities and police will never work together • Giving information based on the assumption that people are seeking payment • Poor working and coordination relations between NGOs, Government and Private sector If government/authirities ask for money to share information, what would community members do?

3. Objectives of the study • Finding sustainable measures that can prevent and reduce crime in the areas of Molo and Kakamega. • Identifying economic platforms that can enhance vehicles for gainful economic empowerment • Identifying vulnerabilities that expose people to consistent crime • Identifying possible people involved in crime (youth, women and men) • The type and style of crime in the region

4. Economic mainstay of kakamega-pilot locations. • Land ownership is key to economic growth for the majority of the people • Farming in sugar cane stands at 58% of all farming activities and cattle rearing at 35% and a hybrid for both is at 7%. • Cattle rearing for beef and prestige is second • Dairy farming is not well spread as most people (85%) of the people own indigenous breeds and are not exposed to alternative dairy practices like Goat farming. • Mining, fishing and agri-businesses account for only 5.6% of the people’s economic engagement.

5. Prevalent investment avenues • Formal employment amongst youth stands at only 23% of the total population. • Most young people are self employed undertaking bodaboda businesses, barber shops, pool joints and video shows at 45% • Women are the majority subsistent farmers, in terms of cultivation at 85%, but men are the recipients of the farm proceeds at 65% of the total man hours employed in farms. • Women, away from the farming are also involved in small scale enterprises specializing in farm products and foodstuffs.

6. Visible investment vehicles • Sugar factories including Butali and West Kenya sugar company. • Two major supermarkets including Yako and Nakumatt. • Major banks including KCB, Barclays, Equity, National and Family • Retail shops and few wholesale business in household goods • Few hospitality facilities including Golf Hotel, Salvage hotel, Friends hotel, Sosa, Savona, Rondo Retreat centre amongst others.

7. Visible investment vehicles • Government institutions like Kenya forestry department, National police structures, various ministries, health facilities and research institutions like KARI amongst others. • Cooperative societies, religious oriented structures, private education structures, private security companies (like G4s) • Communication institutions like Safaricom, Airtel, Orange and Yu, which operate branch offices in the region.

8. Asset ownership and distribution • Men own 90% of the property and assets due to controls systems supported by the culture of the communities in the region. • Young people own almost none of traditional assets as most depend on the goodwill of the parents in the context of inheritance, only 15% are sure of land ownership, which is an economic mainstay. • Women ownership, where succession has been undertaken stands at a paltry 3% of the total asset base, but 17% where they are widowed.

9. Social composition • In the urban centre of Kakamega town the area is cosmopolitan with major Kenyan ethnic groups. • In the locations the composition is 100% purely homogenous made up of Luhyas. • In locations where formal employment is prevalent due to the presence of sugar factories and other industries composition is a mixture of diverse ethnic representation

10. Recreational facilities • Sports is the most preferred source of recreation especially football at 60% amongst the male youths. • Religious activities occupies about 23% of people’s time especially female youths. • Public theatres are absent, and none public field apart from those provided by learning institutions like schools and colleges, thus limiting accessibility to most people. • 40% of women engage in Rotating Savings and Credit Associations (ROSCAs).

11. How people spent their time • 55% of people idle around shopping centres especially the male youths and older men • 24% of the population access legalized social joints like bars, mostly teachers, farmers (after they are paid) and business family. • Majority of young people (69%) especially male access joints that sell local brews like Changaa and busaa. • Part of those who idle around shopping centres, and attend to local brews have an appetite for video shows.

12. How young people spent their time • 55% idle around shops and market centres hanging in bus stages • 14% spent most of their time in video shows • 15% spent their time especially evenings in sports ground practicing football • 16% spent their time in pool table areas and in places where there are barber shops • Among the above category, 60% visit places where local brews are sold • Known youth groups are few? Why? The question is where do they get money to enjoy their social entertainment moments?

13. Active engagement and age • The study revealed that most active members of the community range between the age of 15-50 across board • In terms of gainful economic engagement people between the age of 36-50 turned out to be the most occupied in farming and other economic activities • 50% of young people engage in various small scale businesses including tailoring, boda-boda, running of makeshift kiosks, barber shops The big question is what activities do the young people aged between 15-35 undertake?

14. Political environment • Most regions have three key political parties including ODM, New Ford Kenya and KANU, but currently the area is predominantly ODM • Most political affiliations are ethnic based (in relation to clans and kinship) and not ideological where 64% cannot share the ideology of their party • Most people (72.5%) cannot differentiate between political process and mainstream development engineered by government. • There is unnecessary competition between followers of different parties out clan relations rather than ideologies and theories of change.

15. Political involvement • Different political players increase rivalry amongst people in these locations competing for votes- a case in point is the Ikolomani by election. • It was revealed that this has decreased “people to people” schemes towards harmony. • Young people at 56% are more involved in political rallies as youth wingers as they seem idle. • The position of youth winging is associated with a lot of violence and this extends beyond elctioneering.

16. Common crime in the area • Robbery is more prevalent, at 48%, the magnitude of violence varies from incident to another. • House breakages account for 24% of the crimes committed, however, it must be noted that this account could be bigger is we separated it from robbery. • Stock theft accounts for 15% of all crimes in the region • Assault especially from bar brawls and domestic differences including gender based violence account for 10% of reported cases. • other including rape defilements, incest, suicide and murder account for 3% of crime.

17. Characteristics of crime • Mostly committed by big numbers (gangs) • Frequently used weapons include; pangas, blunt objects like metal bars, fence cutters and blocks • The criminal seem to have a lot of information about the area and people • Targeted crime/organized along information • Most targets are farmers and teachers • Happens as early as 11pm and as late as 4am • Harvest times/ farmers pay time/end month • Happens on Fridays as compared to other days

18. Signs of trouble • Barking dogs give a pattern of movement an indication of 60% possibility of trouble • Domestic animals sniffing loudly 50% assurance that visitors are in your compound • Increased number of strangers in an area • Visitors who come and make friends with almost all people very fast (extremely friendly strangers)

19. articles used in response • Footprints/footsteps • Vehicle tyre marks • Equipments left behind when taking off

20. Possible causes of crime • Unemployment/poverty (youths are idle) • Impunity, nepotism, and abuse of law (office holders, other with criminal records(allegations) • High levels of school drops outs in the pilot locations • Immigrants not known to the indigenous communities • Peer pressure to sustain certain social lifestyles • Addiction to drugs including alcohol and bhang • Exposure of people with money especially earning farmers, teachers and business people

21. Support pillars for crime • Poor handling of information on money status • Poor money handling skills • Negative Cultures • Hoarding of criminals by communities • Fear of court processes • Lack of credible witnesses and evidence • Protection fees (illegal) by law enforcement agencies (police) • Poor culture of accommodating strangers in localities • Crime networks of youth and business people • Set up of current community policing forums

22. Crime redress institutions • The office of the chief handling 70% cases of crime (yet in some areas chiefs are part of the crime networks?) • Administration police as mostly are stationed at the chief’s place/camp • Regular police, only at the level of invitation • Family structures which account for 56% for cases where the criminal is known to the public

23. Possible mitigations • Establish economic empowerment avenues locally sustainable to grow communities with capacity to generate income • Increase communication levels between communities and the Administration Police for enhanced information sharing to scale down criminal activities. • Establish location data bases for every person indicating their engagements, residence and family affiliations in order to track people’s development.

24. Possible mitigations • There must be an increase in confidentiality to allow communities provide information to the police without fear. • Undertake school based programs that can make crime an issue for socio-academic learning for purposes entrenching crime prevention schemes from a tender age. • Instituting basic safety measures like fencing, naming of roads, constructing houses with burglar-proof doors and protecting goods that are quick to sale.

25. Possible mitigations • Development of crime maps indicating notorious areas and routes for purposes of sharing with relevant authorities. • Identifying prevalent characteristics of crime like trenches, dark areas, type of preferred products, and to develop local interventions • Encourage young people to engage in agri-businesses to avoid idle young people in trading centre(s). • Close known local brew dens that habour young people who have no money to drink.

26. Possible mitigations • Commence a visitor registration programme in areas where crime is high (wazee wa miji kumi concept) • Initiate a programme to collect and ban the use of camouflage uniforms by civilians in order to reduce organized crime • Increase patrols and commence village to village visits by the Administration police.

27. Recommendations • Generate data and information for public use in regards to crime in Kenya with a view to find counter measures that are sustainable. • Government to increase youth programmes that can enhance their economic empowerment process • Government must endeavour to popularize the witness protection Act and ensure the same is executed in the Kenyan judiciary process • There must be deliberate information sharing platforms in the context of village barazas

28. recommendations • The government must initiate community policing at the location level in every county in order to grow communities that uphold the law. • Build capacity on safety and community policing for local communities towards development of basic safety measures. • The government must make the study of criminology a major subject in the school curriculum, in order to expose young people to the dangers of crime • Political leaders use of young people to instigate violence must be discouraged

29. Recommendations Government must mandate Administration Police to formulate statements for people they have arrested, away from regular police who seem to coin weak, or unrepresentative statements that sometimes do not stand the test of judicial process

30. Thank you ladies and gentle men It is our responsibility to prevent and reduce crime, for a safer and more prosperous nation