Community safety counts

Kisii Community

Kisii town is the capital of the Kisii County, one of the most economically active peri-urban towns in Kenya; it has a large metropolitan population of over 100,000 residents (2009). The town serves the larger South Nyanza County and the Trans Mara area of western province.

Since August 2010, Usalama Forum and the local Community Prevention Team identified a range of challenges that impact negatively on the safety and security of Kisii community residents.

• Domestic and Gender Based Violence relating to young girls being coerced into Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) and under age prostitution,
• Vigilante Justice from Community Policing Groups that is commonly preferred opposed to Kisii High Court to administer justice,
• Youth Violence related to Alcohol and Drug Abuse sold in the town among the youth operating in car washes
• insecurity in public spaces, like bus park, due to conflict between small traders, bus and motorcycle operators

Usalama’s work therefore focuses on safety of public spaces; prevention of youth violence, reduction of drugs and substance abuse and restoring authority of the formal justice and security systems.

Partners in Kisii:

Kisii Police Station, Kisii County government, the Court Users Committee, Kisii County Policing Authority and groups at risk of becoming offenders or victims of crime and violence. Usalama encourages these actors to participate and supports local initiatives in crime and violence prevention.

Achievements in Kisii: