Wave of crime among youth is worrying

Increased incidences of crime across the country are becoming a matter of grave concern. Of even greater concern, however, is the growing number of youth who are taking to crime, especially in major cities and towns.

The latest reported incident involves a gang on the loose on Nakuru police's most wanted list. Four teenagers suspected of hijacking a taxi, killing its driver were apprehended in Nakuru after being trailed by the flying squad on Tuesday. Of the four suspects, two were secondary school students.

In December last year, police in Kisauni, Mombasa arrested 50 youths aged between 12 and 17 years who were members of a notorious criminal gang known as Wakali Kwanza whose machete-wielding members carried out daylight robberies. Other criminal gangs in the Majengo area were linked to drugs. In Nairobi, a criminal group of youngsters known as the Gaza Gang terrorised residents of Kayole for nearly two years before they were busted by the police in 2015. The sad story is repeated in almost all towns.

There are several likely causes of the increase in youth's involvement in criminal activities that not only the Government, but society must address. No doubt, poverty levels occasioned by high unemployment rates despite more youth having access to education, precipitate crime. Idle, educated youth are more inclined to resort to crime, violence and drugs to make ends meet and to kill time.

Drugs and alcohol have their influence on the youth. In Mombasa, for instance, it is easy for terrorists to recruit disillusioned youth who, for lack of nothing better to do, have also taken to drugs. Peer pressure, like in the case of the 100 youths arrested in Langata, Nairobi could lead to crime. There is need for parental guidance and the Government to come up with programmes that could lure the youth away from crime and give them hope for a bright future.