Police warn Kwale residents over night vigils
Kombani junction which connects to Kwale. Kombani is among areas where some youth were allegedly abducted by people believed to be police officers.
Security officials in Kwale have raised alarm over the resurgence of night vigils popularly known as Disco Matanga.
The officials say they have been monitoring the activities, which are on the rise in Lungalunga, Kinango and Matuga Sub counties in the last one month.
Kwale County police commander Ambrose Steve Oloo said they have already identified areas which are notorious, and are being used as avenues for immorality, posing a greater security risk in the border county.
“This has become very common and mostly done in areas where sub-counties border each other,” said Mr Oloo.
He said a multi-agency strategy, through the community policing committee led by area chiefs will now be deployed to curb the ill that is rampant in Lungalunga and Kinango.
‘Disco Matangas’ involve loud music being played the night after a burial in a homestead. The same event is done on the night of a wedding.
In Coast region, the night vigils have been linked to the high number of teen pregnancies recorded in some of the counties.
Last month, Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i banned the events in Trans- Nzoia blaming it for the rising teenage pregnancies and ordered the local administration to confiscate music systems used in the ceremonies.
The police commander put on notice organizers of the night events saying that apart from being illegal, they were being done against curfew rules.
“Those hosting these ceremonies against the Covid-19 and curfew regulations will face the law. Therefore weddings and funerals should be held within stipulated hours,” he said.
He asked local administrators to coordinate with the police to enforce the law.
Mr Oloo put area chiefs on notice, adding that they will be summoned to explain why the ceremonies are being held in their localities, urging locals not to take advantage of the distant police stations.
“We will not relent as government agencies to bring an end to this,” Mr Oloo said as he stressed on the need to protect young girls who are most vulnerable to sexual exploitation.
Kwale County Commissioner Joseph Kanyiri last week called for the arrest of anyone breaking curfew rules.
“We have spoken to business people. We are all in agreement that they should close their establishments early enough so that by 10pm, the streets are clear,” he said.
Disco Matangas have been common in most counties. When announcing the ban in Trans-Nzoia last month, Mr Matiang’i said that they had managed to stamp out the ill in Kilifi.
“How we did it that side (Kilifi) is how we will do it here,” he said.
