A section of kibera youths have taken to social media to air their views following the current crisis where police are said to have killed a number of youths in what many said were extrajudicial killings.
What started as an analytic post by group member Moses Omondi ended up opening ways for more ideas and suggestions on how to contain the disorder in the area.
Omondi wrote:
“The blame game is just too much here in Kibra, we must ALL take action. The only action currently available is either a bullet or mob justice which is still not addressing the problem…. It is both traumatizing to our children waking up to the voices of gun shots or the shouts of mwizi!!! Mwiziii!! It is not something we should celebrate here in Kibra.”
His sentiments were lauded by Hamisa Said Ali who called on the community to stand up against the killings.
“Well said it’s time sisi kama wakaazi wa Kibra to stand up against crime and brutal killing. Our leaders, their silence is too loud they should also speak out on this,” he said.
However, Stephen Tindi appeared to agree with the current situation, urging the government (through police) to double their effort.
Kennedy Otieno added:
“Sometimes I support bullet to the head why? have ever been caught by these thugs? mwanangu uta tii ...they act as the world is there's...Let the bullet and the police do their job...Criminal's acts like steros in the movies… let them also find their own steros...Moses for a thief to be caught how often do u thing people have suffered on his or there hands...Food of thought.”
“The only solution to the problem is to have these people eliminated...gava carry on!”
Another contributor, Luis Campos Moreno, said the only way to solve the crisis was for the community to unite and help transform the youths through peer education.
“A solution is near and we have to unite. I guess we need a team of Team Youth for KIBERA in each ward. Peer education and counselling in our schools by the group's. Each ward can try to play it's part,” he said.
Benard Puyol said:
“Let’s face this matter from this angle. People are being killed. Remember one is a suspect until proven guilty by our courts. So killing is not the right channel to the problem facing at hand. I am not advocating for any mercy to those giving sleepless nights but all I am saying (is that) our prisons are not full. Our leaders are doing nothing about it. They just sit back, fold their hands and watch. Truth be told, they just focus on other areas of development which is good but they focus on main ones overshadowing the others. Leaders wake up. The same votes you need come 2017 are going down to the graves.”
Ustaadh Salim added voice to the dialogue and blamed it on what he termed as hypocrisy.
“Hypocrisy in this society is the biggest problem so to say... Today they are condemning criminals and supporting these rogue trigger happy cops... Tomorrow when it befalls them they are the first ones to call for demonstrations.... What exactly do we want...??? We have stated here several times every time a youth is murdered that we have a problem in Kibra that needs our urgent attention but later on you are branded as a sympathiser of these young boys and girls.... FIRST AS RESIDENTS OF KIBRA WE HAVE TO ACCEPT THAT THERE IS A BIG PROBLEM IN OUR SOCIETY THAT NEEDS OUR ATTENTION AND THAT’S WHEN WE SHALL ACT POSITIVELY AND AVOID THESE DOUBLE STANDARDS....” he said.
All said, the community needs to work closely with their leaders and government representatives to see an end to the mistrust between residents that has seen more lives lost.