WOMEN GET INVOLVED IN SECURING KIBARANI AREA
Kibarani, an area that neighbors the Makupa course-way to the South and the Mombasa-Nairobi Highway to the west, is an informal settlement in Jomvu sub county. The name of the area relates to the time it was allocated as a shooting ground during the Moi regime. During the day, the area is a maze of activities from Jua Kali artisans to transporters plying the Mombasa-Nairobi highway transiting goods from the port of Mombasa to the hinterland.
Kibarani is also known to be a conflict hotspot on land issues, a hideout for criminal gangs and rogue business cartels, and numerous dens of illicit brew. Eunice, a peace ambassador,’’mama wa mtaa’’ and a resident of the area for over 10 years has struggled to enhance security in the area. The relationship between locals in the area and government policing agencies has been antagonistic with the two constantly battling each other.
A peace initiative dubbed, ‘’Police café’’ by KECOSCE, through the Building Resilience in Civil Societies (BRICS) Project, is yielding fruits in a crime prone area. The initiative seeks to bring the police and key community leaders to discuss their security concerns and provide feedback to the community, as well as enhancing confidence and trust between the two parties. Eunice, being a beneficiary of these frequent engagements with the law enforcers, has taken upon herself to report about the security situations in the area which require quick police response.
She has purposed to gather information on a cartel that has been stealing food stuff from transporters enroute to Nairobi. Such foodstuffs include wheat and rice. Members of the cartel would waylay trackers and work with them to break off container seals before stealing the goods.
“After following up on the issue, I decided to speak up, as i came to understand that some of the rogue officers were also involved. Tuktuks used to transport stolen foodstuffs were not being stopped even in the presence of these rogue officers. When KECOSCE brought us closer to the Officer Commanding Station, through the police cafe, I then shared the information with him. Right now that game has ended, the police officers are now providing security to the trailers and there are no cases reported that wheat has being taken away.”