At least 126 organised criminal gangs are operating within Nairobi.
Nairobi Regional Commissioner Gilbert Kitiyo has said the government managed to point out the gangs following an extensive intelligence-led mapping exercise.
According to Kitiyo, the gangs were uncovered through a targeted programme focusing on organised crime and emerging security threats.
The security boss, while speaking on Radio Generation, said the authorities had already moved from intelligence gathering to enforcement, with arrests ongoing across the city.
“When it comes to organised crime, these are criminals who use all manner of tricks and ways to reach out to people,” Kitiyo said.
“In Nairobi, we have recorded almost 126 criminal gangs using various names.”
According to the regional commissioner, the gangs operate in defined zones across the city and rely on structured leadership, communication networks, and social spaces to recruit and coordinate criminal activity.
He said security agencies have undertaken detailed profiling of the groups, including identifying their leaders, operational areas, and methods.
“What we normally do is very clear mapping where we identify those groups and even gang leaders, their telephone numbers, where they operate, and how they operate, and then we take care of them,” Kitiyo said.
The mapping exercise is part of a broader government initiative launched on October 15 this year under the Rapid Results Initiative (RRI) on insecurity and organised crime.
Kitiyo said the programme was designed to deliver quick, measurable gains in the fight against criminal networks through coordinated, multi-agency action.
“On October 15 this year, we launched a programme called RRI on insecurity and organised crime,” he said.
“We did the mapping to understand these groups, and that’s how we came up with the 126 groups.”
Following the intelligence phase, the operation has shifted to targeted enforcement.
Kitiyo said security agencies are now focusing on individual gang members and leaders, leading to a series of arrests in recent weeks.
“Now we are targeting individuals, and so many of them have been arrested, and we continue arresting them even now,” he said.
The RRI approach, according to the commissioner, goes beyond gang arrests to address enablers of crime within communities.
Kitiyo said authorities identified specific locations commonly used by criminal groups to plan, recruit, and hide from law enforcement.
“With that RRI, there are a number of things we were focusing on, including criminal gangs, cartels, illicit brew dens,” he said, adding that many gang members “hang around there.”
Pool tables and informal entertainment joints were also flagged as key congregation points used by criminal elements to coordinate activities and recruit young people into gangs.
Kitiyo said security teams have intensified patrols, inspections, and crackdowns in such locations as part of the wider operation.
Jukwaa la Usalama Report
The revelation comes days after a new security brief delivered to President William Ruto exposed a chilling reality: Kenya is facing an unprecedented surge in gang activity, with Nairobi alone hosting more than 130 active criminal groups, making it the country’s biggest breeding ground for organised crime.
The explosive Jukwaa la Usalama Report, compiled by security experts and intelligence analysts, paints a grim picture of a country where gangs, some barely known to the public, are tightening their grip on neighbourhoods, youth, politics, and even land ownership.
According to the report, Nairobi is now the epicentre of the crisis, with over 130 gangs involved in everything from petty extortion to political violence, kidnappings, murder, and election-related mercenary work.
“Some of the gangs are structured and highly organised, while others are amorphous groups that regroup only when hired for assignments,” the report states.
Among those listed are:
- Jeshi Jinga
- 42 Brothers
- M23
- Kapenguria Six
- Usiku Sacco
These gangs operate across estates such as Kibera, Dandora, Mathare, Kayole, and Mukuru, often controlling entire zones through fear and brutality.
