Jukwaa la Usalama report flags corruption, terrorism and gangs as key threats

Sexual and gender-based violence, corruption, drugs and substance abuse, terrorism, undocumented foreign nationals and banditry are some of the highlighted key threats to Kenya’s national security according to the inaugural Jukwaa la Usalama report.

Also, land disputes and emergence of criminal gangs have been ranked as some of the key threats to Kenya’s national security at a time the issue of goonism has taken a centre stage as a tool of political violence unleashed to dissidents and opposing viewpoints.

The new revelations are contained in the Jukwaa la Usalama report which was launched by President William Ruto at State House, Nairobi.

The report contains the findings from the seven-month Jukwaa la Usalama forums held between April and October this year by Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen.

Speaking during a national gathering of chiefs and assistant chiefs at State House, Nairobi, Murkomen outlined the findings of his ministry’s extensive nationwide security forums, Jukwaa la Usalama, which engaged over 60,000 grassroots leaders and security officers.

“We listened to chiefs, assistant chiefs, village elders and OCS officers in every county,” Murkomen said. “This engagement was open, frank and necessary. You cannot solve security issues unless you start by listening to the people on the ground.”

Murkomen reported that while terrorism threats along border regions remain under control, banditry continues to destabilize parts of Meru, Isiolo, Samburu and neighboring counties.

He noted significant progress in regions previously affected, such as the Kerio Valley, where security operations have recovered more than 1,000 illegal firearms in a period of just a few months.

Murkomen described drug and alcohol abuse as a national crisis, complicated by corruption and inconsistencies in county licensing of bars and entertainment establishments.

He said some towns have “more bars than restaurants,” undermining the fight against illicit brews.

The CS also warned that conflicts between chiefs and police officers often linked to bribery have hampered enforcement.

According to the report, threats are categorised by region. In Nairobi, land conflicts and terrorism are highlighted. The Rift Valley faces banditry, Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV), intercommunal land conflicts, and illicit alcohol. At the Coast, land conflicts and drugs dominate. Eastern Kenya struggles with boundary disputes, human–wildlife conflicts, and cattle rustling.

Western Kenya is affected by organised criminal gangs and Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV). North Eastern continues to grapple with terrorism and land conflicts. Central Kenya faces illicit alcohol and SGBV, while Nyanza is affected by both SGBV and illicit brew.

The report notes that terrorism remains a high threat despite a decline in incidents in recent years.

“The continuing danger arises from instability in our neighbouring countries, which provides a conducive ground for terrorists. These extremist groups, such as al-Shabaab, pose a great danger to the security of our country,” the document explains.

It notes the emergence of sleeper cells in Siaya and Busia counties, terming the trend a testament to the evolving nature of the crime, which requires sustained vigilance for countermeasures.

Religious extremism is also flagged as an emerging threat from movements and organisations that continue to prey on vulnerable populations through coercive doctrines, isolation, and psychological control.

Western Kenya, particularly Kakamega County, is cited as an area where fringe groups lure youth and disrupt social structures through anti-state teachings, withdrawal from school, and forced separation from family networks.

On criminal gangs, the report notes that the challenge is spread across Nairobi, Kakamega, Nakuru, Busia, Bungoma, Vihiga, Kisii, Homabay, Kisumu, Tana River, Trans Nzoia, Mombasa, Murang’a, and Machakos counties, with activities ranging from political violence to kidnapping and murder.

Across the other counties, the gangs are concentrated in urban and peri-urban areas, with others having notably penetrated rural areas.

“Nairobi county alone has over 130 gangs,” the report says, adding that, majority of the gangs remain amorphous units, assignments come up during the electioneering period.

According to the report, the gangs draw their resilience and adaptability from resources derived from criminal activities like drug trafficking and extortion.

On drug and substance trafficking, the report notes that corruption and a disconnect between the National Government and police efforts aid in their proliferation.

“Chiefs reported that offenders involved in illicit brewing are often released by the police because only police officers are authorised to present suspects in court. This disconnect between administrative officers and law enforcement weakens accountability and hampers local efforts to contain the vice,” the report says.