The once crime hot spot Likoni area in Mombasa County has calmed down after interventions by Human rights lobby MUHURI, among other stakeholders.
Muslims for Human Rights-MUHURI which initiated dialogue forums between youth and security agents in the area reported calmness and improved security status in the area.
MUHURI’s Executive director Hassan Abdilleh said that Likoni was once a crime zone following the emergence of juvenile gangs but after serious security dialogue forums and social approach the crime wave has immensely gone down.
On Tuesday, Abdilleh revealed that the social approach has positively impacted the area and many youth have turned to be peace ambassadors.
He commended security agents and the Mombasa County government for recognising human rights approach in containing such volatile situation which was sinking Likoni Sub-County few months ago.
However, Abdilleh said that income generating activities and fully involvement of the youth into leadership was inevitable as a permanent solution to the problem.
“It was evident that excessive use of force was not the solution but social and community approach employed by the human rights lobby,” he noted.
Abdilleh added that most of the young people who were once recruited in juvenile gangs have now joined technical institutions and some initiated their income generating projects.
“As Community we have the capacity to protect the young ones by guiding them to the right path, we cannot remain numb as our future generation remains in peril,” he argued.
The human rights crusader said that Likoni top security details spearheaded the fruitful dialogues which brought positive and encouraging results.
He however appealed to parents to be very vigilant and take fully parenting responsibilities.
He single out poverty and drug abuse among youth within the area as some of the major pushing factors for the emergence of juvenile criminal gangs.
