Parents blamed as teen gangs terrorise Garissa residents

Parents in Garissa town have been named as the weakest link in the fight against insecurity.

Cases of murder, muggings and burglary have increased in the past two weeks.

On Saturday night, a woman was stabbed and seriously injured by a grade 7 pupil in the outskirts of Garissa town.

The minor who attempted to steal the woman's phone, was later arrested.

The criminals, most of them in their teens, have been using machettes, knives, pangas and in some instances, guns.

In another incident, an M-Pesa shop operator was robbed Sh13 million at gun point.

So bad is the situation that businesses have been forced to close as early as 6pm.

Local leaders said parents have either abdicated their responsibilities or are protecting their criminal children by not reporting them to authorities.

Garissa Deputy Governor Abdi Dagane, Garissa Township MP Dekow Mohamed and senior principle chief Yussuf Mohamed said moving forward, it will no longer be business as usual for criminals.

They spoke on Saturday during the graduation ceremony at Al_Amaar school in Iftin ward.

Dekow said the sudden rise in crime is a combination of poor parenting and security officers sleeping on the job.

“The recent cases that have turned the town in a battle ground should worry all of us.It is high time we asked ourselves hard questions. How did we get here in the first place? Security is a collective responsibility and it starts right at the household level,” he said.

dekow urged the police not to hesitate arresting parents camping at the police station seeking the release of their criminal children.

“As the area MP I want to tell our officers that anyone who dares go to the police station to have his child or relative released after being arrested for his involvement in crime should himself or herself be arrested as an accomplice to the crime. It is as simple as that,” he said.

Garissa Deputy Governor Abdi Dagane said time has come for the security apparatus to act tough and restore sanity in the town saying that those involved in the incidences are young boys and most of them are still in school..

Garissa senior principle chief Yussuf Sheikh said several people have been arrested since the operation started.

"Its very unfortunate that we have parents who have completely  abdicated their parental duties.Your child leaves home and you don't bother to know whether he arrived in school or not. They change into civilians clothes and start terrorising and robbing people,"Sheikh said.

He urged those with illegal guns to surrender them to the police or the local administrators.

“A major operation involving the police and the provincial administration is in the offing in areas we suspect are infiltrated with illegal guns," Sheikh said.

"In the meantime, we have so far arrested and taken to court many suspects among them a grade 7 pupil who snatched a phone from a woman and in the process stabbed her when she tried to resist. We are looking for his accomplices,” he said.

Last week Northeastern regional Commissioner John Otieno who convened a security meeting and warned parents against seeking the release of their criminal children.

“I want to make it very clear that nobody should be released because somebody somewhere has either made a call or talked to someone. And if there are people releasing suspects on flimsy grounds after money has changed hands, when such allegations are confirmed then know that you are trading on very dangerous grounds both the giver and the receiver,” he said.