The Jukwaa la Usalama report has pinpointed land fraud in Kajiado County as a critical local threat. The report was unveiled by President William Ruto at State House, Nairobi.
In the land fraud category, Kajiado was listed alongside Trans Nzoia, Uasin Gishu, Laikipia, Nakuru, and Narok counties. The report warns that document forgery, double allocations, illegal land sales and corrupt transactions are undermining stability in these areas.
In Kajiado specifically, land-related fraud has been flagged as a growing menace, with criminal networks exploiting loopholes to dispossess communities and fuel disputes.
The report is based on findings from seven months of public security forums held between April and October this year, chaired by the Cabinet Secretary for the Ministry of Interior and National Administration, Kipchumba Murkomen. The report categorises threats by region, noting that Nairobi faces land conflicts and terrorism, the Rift Valley struggles with banditry and illicit alcohol, while the Coast is dominated by drug abuse and land disputes. Eastern Kenya continues to grapple with boundary disputes, cattle rustling, and human-wildlife conflicts.
Western Kenya is cited for organised gangs and Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV), North Eastern for terrorism and land disputes, Central for illicit alcohol and SGBV, and Nyanza for both illicit brew and gender-based violence.
However, corruption, terrorism, drug trafficking, undocumented foreign nationals, banditry and the rise of criminal gangs have been identified as major threats to Kenya’s national security.
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Beyond these regional concerns, the report singles out terrorism, which remains a high risk despite a decline in incidents, with extremist groups such as al-Shabaab exploiting instability in neighbouring states.
Criminal gangs are reported to be active in most of the counties, with Nairobi alone hosting more than 130 gangs, many of which thrive during election periods.
The report further cites drug trafficking, aided by corruption and weak coordination between police and administrative officers, as a persistent challenge. Chiefs reported that offenders in illicit brewing are often released prematurely, weakening accountability.
Nationally, SGBV continues to occur daily in some regions, compounded by stigma and systemic weaknesses in response mechanisms.
The Jukwaa la Usalama meetings will now be held twice a year at the local level and once every five years at the national level.
By Masaki Enock
