Factors That Account for the Prevalence of Insecurity in Nyamira Township, Nyamira County

Abstract

Urban insecurity is on the increase, not only in Nyamira Township, but in many metropolitan areas of Kenya. The increase compromises both the safety of lives and property, hence threatening the general wellbeing of citizens and the country at large. It is therefore critical for the security agencies and related stakeholders to appraise the extent of the problem, so as to craft relevant security measures. This study therefore undertook to assess factors that account for the prevalence of insecurity in Nyamira Township and more specifically, the causes of insecurity, the relationship between youth unemployment and insecurity, the impact of vigilantism on the crime rate and possible intervention strategies. The study sampled 120 respondents using purposive and stratified random sampling techniques. Primary data was collected using a semi-structured questionnaire and was analyzed using descriptive data analysis techniques. The findings showed that there were rampant criminal activities and a high level of insecurity in Nyamira Township. Majority respondents had witnessed insecurity in the month prior to the interview, while the rest of them said they had not. The prevalent crimes included muggings, burglaries, sex-related crimes, robberies, gun crimes and abductions, among others. All these occurred in different frequencies. On the relationship between youth unemployment and insecurity, the study revealed that this was a major contributory factor to insecurity. Forty two percent of the respondents indicated that youth unemployment contributed to insecurity to a great extent whereas the rest said that the effect was to a small extent. On the relationship between vigilantism and insecurity, almost a third of the respondents observed that it contributed to insecurity to a moderate extent. It was also established that there were strategies in place that were meant to mitigate problems of insecurity in the Township. However, the government had not achieved much in terms of addressing insecurity in the town, due a lack of synergy between non-state and state security actors. The study therefore recommended a multipronged approach by the government to arrest the problem of insecurity in the township by, among others, ensuring that there was proper coordination between all the security agencies, with the objective of addressing insecurity from a common front.