Fourteen teenagers—10 boys and 4 girls—have been arrested in connection with the recent surge of juvenile gang activity in Umoja, Nairobi, following violent clashes that resulted in the death of a 15-year-old boy.
The suspects, aged between 12 and 19, were detained during a focused operation conducted by detectives from Buruburu and subsequently appeared before the Makadara Law Courts.
Authorities obtained court orders to hold the minors as investigations proceed into the murder of Joshua Kubiti, who died from injuries sustained during a violent altercation at Radiant Hospital, Umoja. The incident was recorded and widely shared on social media.
According to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), the teenagers had organized themselves into rival gangs with names such as Chinje, Mbogi, Bad Bunny, and Silent. These groups have been linked to violent clashes, phone snatching, and theft in Umoja I, II, & III, Tena, Innercore, Kayole, Kariobangi, and surrounding estates.
Investigators noted that recruitment into the gangs often spikes during school holidays, exposing more young people into crime.
“A sustained crackdown against juvenile gangs and other criminal elements in Nairobi and across the country remains ongoing,” the DCI said in a statement issued on Wednesday.
