Mombasa governor says weakened social structures fuelling rise in Coast juvenile gangs
The Mombasa County Government plans to roll out targeted community interventions in the coming weeks to mitigate the resurgence of juvenile gang activity and support at-risk youth.
Mombasa Governor Abdulswamad Sherrif Nassir has warned that systematic failures, including weak child protection mechanisms and a lack of mentorship programmes, have created a crisis where minors are increasingly drawn into gang activities instead of attending school.
Speaking on Monday after joining the Muslim faithful for Eid prayers at RG Ngala Grounds in Mombasa, Abdulswamad expressed deep concern over the involvement of minors in crime, describing it as a "disturbing failure of the systems designed to guide and protect our children."
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His sentiments come in the wake of a rise in juvenile gangs terrorising residents even in broad daylight.
"It is unacceptable that our communities are being terrorised by school-aged children. We must stop blaming unemployment for this crisis. These are not young adults looking for jobs. They are children who belong in school,” he said.
Abdulswamad noted that while youth unemployment is a national concern, it should not be used to justify the participation of underage children in criminal activities. Instead, he pointed to truancy and weakened social structures as the root causes of the problem.
Holiday mentorship programme
“This is why, as a county government, we had instituted a structured holiday mentorship programme to keep children positively engaged during school breaks,” he said.
“That initiative had shown a marked reduction in these kinds of occurrences—but was unfortunately disrupted by the recent directive from the Controller of Budget limiting county government interventions in primary and secondary level education.”
He lamented the impact of the directive, saying it had left a gap in local-level support systems that were proving effective in steering children away from crime. He called for a review of such restrictions, insisting that county governments must be allowed to complement national efforts in safeguarding the welfare of children.
“Education is not just a classroom issue—it’s a community issue. When systems fail, children fall through the cracks and are exploited by criminal elements. We cannot afford to look the other way,” he said.
Nassir said his administration is committed to prioritising education and community engagement to combat the crisis. He announced plans to engage stakeholders, including religious leaders, community elders and civil society to explore alternative interventions despite the budgetary constraints.
“As a government, we will continue to prioritise the safety and future of our children. Every child must be in school—not on the streets, not in gangs and certainly not behind bars,” he said.
The Mombasa County Government plans to roll out targeted community interventions in the coming weeks to mitigate the resurgence of juvenile gang activity and support at-risk youth.
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