They are in their 20s. Some are barely out of their teen years, but while some are resting six feet under, others are busy playing hide-and-seek with police.
They are the youthful gangsters terrorising Kenya’s cities and have extended crime tentacles in rural areas. They operate under outlawed groups like Gaza, Superpower, Usiku Sacco, 40 Brothers and others.
Their mission is to live flamboyantly without toiling. They ape lifestyles of international crooked ‘celebs’. Gaza, for instance, look up to Jamaican musician Adidja Azim Palmer, better known as Vybz Kartel, who is serving a jail term. Last year in June, Kartel disowned the Kenyan gang.
Just a few days ago, police gunned down six armed young men in their 20s after they allegedly attacked a boda boda rider, raped his passenger and made away with his bike.
In their world, it is tit-for-tat. Stealing, harming and killing are their routine work, but hundreds of them have been killed by police and civilians in renewed war on crime. Dozens others have been asked to surrender their illegal guns, but are unyielding.
READ MORE
Israel probe finds troops' presence led to killing of six Gaza hostages
Bethlehem marks sombre Christmas under shadow of war
Their street lingo for being taken out by police is kulishwa copper, while mob justice is described as ‘team building.’
George Mwaniki alias Mwanii who was labelled one of the most dangerous criminals, was felled in a shootout with police along Thika Superhighway in August 2017.
He was linked to two cop murders, a series of robberies and killings in Eastlands. The trigger-happy young man bragged on social media, posing with guns and taunting police.
It’s however his wife Claire Njoki alias Clea Adi Vybz’s killing in Kayole in May 2017 that raised concerns about the rate of teenagers in violent crime.
The 17-year-old who was described as “Nairobi’s prettiest thug” was a hardcore gangster working alongside Mwanii and other male and female accomplices. She was felled in Kayole alongside others as they were robbing residents.
‘Marsha Minaj’ is another youthful gangster who was slayed last year as the number of young thugs killed continue to soar. She was only known by her nickname. She went down with her thug boyfriend.
Often, before they are hunted and slayed, they are warned and their images and details shared on Facebook pages run by purportedly faceless cops identified as Hessy wa Dandora, among others.
Some are currently on the warning list and whenever they are exterminated, their bloody photos are shared. But this has not tamed their adoration for crime.
Seven city Gaza members reportedly in their 20s were killed at Makutano, Kirinyaga County on a mission to the area where Mwanii was buried.
Weeks later, Recce Squad gunned down three others at Kenol, Murang’a at their hideout after they reportedly killed a police officer in Nairobi and made away with his gun. They too were young men.
It is however the public execution of two suspected gangsters in Eastleigh that laid bare the shocking age of the faces in the underworld.
The two teenagers identified as Mohammed and Jamal were allegedly lethal thugs but their relatives insisted they were just small-time crooks.
Would you like to get published on Standard Media websites? You can now email us breaking news, story ideas, human interest articles or interesting videos on: standardonline@standardmedia.co.ke
