Mombasa, KENYA: Youths belonging to various notorious gangs in Mombasa on Wednesday met with an aim to restore peace in the county.
The meeting that was held at Koblenz hall, was facilitated by the county commissioners office in partnership with various stakeholders such as Kenya Redcross so as to curb the rise of crime in the region.
Youths from Majengo and those from Oldtown said to belong to Temeke, Mawayo and Roppa gang have been said to be in constant conflicts resulting in other innocent people getting serious injuries and others dying from the attacks.
For several months Mombasa County Commissioner Evans Achoki together with the Kenya Redcross team have been working together with the various leaders in a bid to find a solution.
The meeting saw the gang leaders from the different regions address the youth gathered at the hall together with their parents in order to reconcile and restore peace.
Addressing the crowd during the meeting, Achoki lauded the youth for agreeing to foster peace and warned them against involving themselves in crime after the meeting.
“As we leave this place please do not try to join any criminal gang. If you break any law from now onwards know that you are on your own and the law will catch up with you.” Said Achoki.
Mvita MP Abdulswamad Shariff Nassir also present at the meeting called upon the youth to uphold the peace witnessed during the event to make the region safe.
The youths promised to turn a new leaf from their previous life of wielding knives and machetes. As a symbol of doing so, mothers of the youth who were either killed or injured by rival gangs embraced the gang that hurt their children to show reconciliation.
