Members of the Mombasa County Assembly (MCA’s) have been challenged to actively participate in efforts geared towards improving security at the grassroots level.
The MCA’s have been further urged to always venture into deliberating on security issues with the locals, so that they are well informed of the security status in their Wards and together with the electorates they discuss and develop ways of taming insecurity in those areas.
Peace and Security lobby Kenya Community Support Centre (KECOSCE) Executive Director Phyllis Muema noted that politicians remain critical aspect in efforts to curb insecurity at the grassroots level.
Addressing a peace and security forum meant to analyse the security situation in Kisauni and Nyali Sub counties in Mombasa, Ms Muema appealed to the MCA’s to develop a working strategy that will enable them fast track security matters in their Wards.
“If these local leaders strategise and develop a proper working plan on how they can complement our efforts and closely work with security agencies in a bid to curtail insecurity in their Wards, we will make strides in improving security in the entire Mombasa county,” noted Muema.
[Kenya Community Support Centre Executive Director Phyllis Muema. She challenged Mombasa MCA’s to actively participate in efforts to improve security within their Wards. Photo/KECOSCE/April, 17, 24].
The activist urged the politicians to pass bills that will facilitate concerted efforts in taming insecurity and implement various tangibles measures among them improving the Technical and Vocational Educational Training institutions (TVET) in the county so that youth get the required skills for them to either get employed or employ themselves.
Factors
Muema had earlier singled out poor parenting, unemployment among the youth, unskilled youth who miss job opportunities following lack of qualifications as some of the key issues that have left many youth jobless, pushing them to crime.
Response
The forum attended by a section of the Mombasa County Ward Representatives, acknowledged that indeed Mombasa and specifically Nyali and Kisauni Sub counties are grappling with insecurity problem.
Bamburi Ward MCA Patrick Mbelle however, noted that unemployment should not justify youth indulgence in crime.
He noted that personally he has been working with various staheloders to secure overseas jobs for the youth in his Ward.
“I have secured over 50 jobs overseas for my youth who are now working in vessels in various countries globally. I am working to ensure youth from Bamburi Ward are absorbed locally, globally and I have been empowering them to be self relience,” Mr Mbelle further revealed.
Mbelle however, appealed to security agents in Bamburi to work closely with local leaders and the residents in a bid to streamline security issue, stop harassing, and demand bribes from locals.
On her part, Kadzandani MCA Fatuma Swaleh Mote (Fatuma Kushe) urged police officers to stop revealing delicate information shared to them by activists and locals, saying such information if mishandled, locals will stop sharing such critical leads for fear of victimisation.
“It happened two weeks ago when a woman activist was injured by a group of youth after she revealed important intelligence reports to police. If police cannot treat such information with the utmost confidentiality it deserves, then I wonder who will work with them to improve security?” posed Ms Kushe.
Speaking on the same issues, Ziwa la Ng’ombe MCA Khamis Nyota revealed that criminal gangs have been invading his Ward from other parts of the county like Likoni, gang up with local groups and terrorise people.
“We are doing our best as local leaders but the police should also play their roles and always consider the important component of security, the local,” noted Mr Nyota.
Other MCA’s who attended the forum were Mwakirunge Ward MCA Khamis Mwinyi Mtoto (Mwakirunge), Morgan Matsaki (Mtopanga) Mariam Baimu (Freere Town) and Amriya Juma Boy (Mjambere).
