Inside Naivasha’s dangerous settlement, criminals’ haven 

Police have described the area as a den for social outlaws. Situated along Moi South Lake road, the informal settlement of Karagita in Naivasha, is the newest crime busters’ security pain.

Volatile and crime-prone, prone, the densely populated shanty town is home to hundreds of low cadre flower workers and job hunters.

Jobless youths while away their time in the neighbourhood chewing miraa (khat) engaging in idle gossip.

Others spend endless hours in illicit brew dens, imbibing illegal drinks in secluded joints.

The dark alleys are a no-go zone for the faint hearted. Many have been mugged and women attacked and raped by youths high on drugs.

Bhang selling and smoking is rampant in the ramshackle dwellings, a situation exacerbated by the tough economic times, thanks to coronavirus.

Drug and alcohol addiction is a common problem with four students from a local institution caught in possession of bhang. 

Fisherman’s shooting

The secondary school learners were suspended, testimony to the deep-rooted problem that has permeated the institutions of learning.

“The area’s chaotic, but we’re doing all we can to bring back sanity... It’s not easy, but we will eventually get there,” Deputy County Commissioner Kisilu Mutua said.

Three weeks ago, youths blocked the Moi South Lake Road, protesting at a fisherman’s shooting. 

For three days, Karagita was a no-go zone as happened in an earlier protest when security officers had to ask for reinforcements to contain the situation.

The protests, Mr Mutua said, were infiltrated by goons who went on a looting spree in the vast settlement, harassing traders and stealing from them.

The protesters would retreat into the dense area, only to resurface as anti-riot police prepared, in local lingo, to “fall out”.

For nearly three days, they engaged the police in a cat-and-mouse-game as police continued to lob tear gas at them in a bid to quell the mayhem.

With the government keen on streamlining fishing activities in Lake Naivasha, battle lines have been drawn.

Stabbed to death

Youths, who for years depended on the natural resource for upkeep, are not finding it easy after the government posted the dreaded Kenya Coast Guards to protect the lake from illegal fishing.

The exasperated operators are facing a crisis with no end in sight. The youths are feeling the heat, but are not taking it lying down. The recent killing blew up pent-up anger, and the ripple effect has become a major concern.

“Crime has gone up since we tightened measures to control illegal fishing,” Mr Mutua said.

Chronology of past occurrences depicts an area inhabited by a heartless cluster that has killed, raped and perpetrated other atrocities.

The recent incident involved the killing of a 30-year-old woman by her estranged lover. The jilted man stabbed the woman in the stomach, and she died while undergoing treatment at the Naivasha Sub-county Hospital.

The suspect was arrested two days later as he attempted to flee from Naivasha. Police said the woman had turned down the man’s reconciliation efforts.

Recently, volunteers known as Zion Singles indicated that at least six people, including five teenagers suffering from mental health related issues, have been abused in the area.

Mr Mutua admitted that social vices were rampant in the informal settlement, and asked the chiefs to be vigilant.