Why insecurity continues to rise in Mombasa

A rights group has blamed escalating insecurity in Mombasa on supremacy battles between village elders and Nyumba Kumi enforcers.

Executive Director of Christians for Human Rights (CFHR), Patrick Wekoma claimed on Thursday that most village elders did not want to cooperate with the Nyumba Kumi members.

"The elders still feel they are in charge of every affair in the village and should be consulted on every issue. They have refused to accept that Nyumba Kumi ambassadors are also important players in fight against insecurity," said Wekoma.

He was speaking Friday during a sensitisation meeting in Tononoka that brought together village elders, chiefs and Nyumba Kumi ambassadors within Mvita sub-county.

He said the feud was further escalated by police who ignored the Nyumba Kumi group in favour of village elders.

"The police have established rapport with the elders and prefer contacting them instead of the peace ambassadors," he said.

He said this misunderstanding was to blame for the increasing incidents of crime carried out on motorcycles. On Wednesday, a police officer was shot dead by criminals in Kuze area of Old Town.

He said the bad blood between the two groups had culminated into criminals roaming free with the two groups sometimes competing to outdo one another.

"Some village elders have accused the Nyumba Kumi ambassadors of hiding some criminals. Some ambassadors are also resolving land disputes which is not their role," said Wekoma.

Mvita constituency alone has 1,000 peace ambassadors.