1,189 people jailed over goonism-related offences in four years - CS Murkomen

The Interior CS appeared before the Senate to respond to questions on the country's security situation, where he provided an update on the number of young people serving sentences for various offences.

 He noted that men accounted for 1,053 of those incarcerated, while 136 were women, bringing the total to 1,189.

“This is enough evidence for the people who say that police are doing nothing to arrest goons. You can see that until now, 1,189 are being incarcerated,” Murkomen stated.

As cases of goonism linked to heightened political activity continue to raise concern, Murkomen said police were taking action against individuals breaking the law.

The Interior CS said the government was also rolling out measures aimed at addressing the root causes of crime, particularly among young people.

The CS added that more than 120,000 young people had been imprisoned in Kenya between 2022 and 2026 over various criminal offences.

He noted that 11,824 youths among those imprisoned were jailed for offences linked to gang activity, violent extremism and goonism.

“Honourable Chair, the total number of youths imprisoned for these offences stands at 11,824. Sentences imposed by courts for the above offences vary depending on the gravity of the offence committed,” Murkomen stated.

He cited youth empowerment programmes targeting unemployment and economic vulnerability as measures to tame the vice, including the Youth Enterprise Development Fund, the Ajira Digital Programme and employment opportunities under the Affordable Housing Programme.

Murkomen also said the government was stepping up efforts to tackle illicit alcohol and drug abuse, which he identified as contributing factors to crime among young people.