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Perpetuating Injustice: The Criminalisation of Youth Gangs in Mombasa, Kenya

Mombasa is well known for problems with gangs. Some of them are composed of a high proportion of youths under 18 years, with some as young as 7 years old. Many use drugs, some carry out thefts, and some are known for large-scale violent robberies with the use of knives, severely injuring members of the public. In an attempt to manage the problem, the killing of perpetrators through mob justice or in police operations is commonplace. This paper contributes to our understanding of youths in gangs and interventions to tackle gang violence. We argue that not all “gangs” are involved in criminal activity. However, some gang members may be viewed as perpetrators of violent crime but also as victims of marginalisation and unfavourable environments, which constrain life choices, making violent crime a frequent path. Moreover, criminal justice approaches have failed these youths. The current inconsistent, corrupt and brutal approach by police serves to compound the problem, while external actors benefiting from youth gangs’ operations are tolerated by the state. Increased resistance is evident as youth gangs tend to increase their violence against the public in order to take “revenge” against the police. Structural violence is an important cause of the problem and is also replicated in current mitigation approaches.