MOMBASA: A 12-year-old boy was among 45 people arrested in Kisauni, Mombasa following an operation to weed out criminals in the area.
Speaking to Baraka FM, Mombasa County Commissioner Mohamed Noor Hassan said the door-to-door crackdown led to the arrest of 45 suspects, among the 12-17-year-old minors.
The operation followed a spate of insecurity that was witnessed in the area.
“We retrieved machetes and other weapons the criminals used to carry out their operations and also managed to recover some of the items they had stolen,” said Commissioner Noor.
The Mombasa County Commissioner has called on parents to ensure they know the whereabouts of their children during this school holiday.
“Do not let your children just wander around not knowing where they are going. Some of these children we arrest them at 1-2 am. How can a 12-year-old be out at that time? Parents should take their responsibility and account for their children’s whereabouts all the time,” said Commissioner Noor.
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The door-to-door crackdown on criminals will be extended to Likoni and Jomvu sub-counties.
Meanwhile, Commissioner Noor has also called on the county government to regulate the sale of Muguka in the county to ensure the product is not sold to children.
“Muguka sellers should do so in a regulated manner, in a clean place with all the correct licenses needed. We do not want our children going to muguka dens and staying there the whole night with suspected criminals who might mislead them. So we will have a crackdown on those illegal muguka dens and make sure they are closed,” said the County Commissioner.
Commissioner Noor said indulging in criminal activities will destroy a child’s future.
“When a 12-year-old’s fingerprints have already been taken into the system for engaging in criminal activities then it will affect their employment in the future because of the criminal record. It can also affect their opportunities when they get scholarships abroad,” he said.
