14 Arrested As DCI Exposes 7 Nairobi Estates Harbouring The Most Teen Gangs
The suspects — 10 boys and four girls aged between 12 and 19 — were picked up in a targeted operation led by Buruburu-based detectives
Vantage Ke Writer 
14 teenagers have been arrested in a police crackdown targeting rising juvenile gangs in Nairobi’s Umoja estate, following the fatal attack that claimed the life of 15-year-old Joshua Kubiti.
The suspects — 10 boys and four girls aged between 12 and 19 — were picked up in a targeted operation led by Buruburu-based detectives, drawn from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI).
In a statement, DCI revealed that the suspects were arraigned at the Makadara Law Courts, where investigators secured custodial orders to continue probing Kubiti’s murder and pursue justice for his family.
Collage of teen gangs in Nairobi's Umoja estate. /MAJI MAJI
The arrests follow the circulation of a viral video showing teenagers engaged in violent clashes in Umoja. Kubiti, who was caught up in the fight, later succumbed to his injuries while receiving treatment at Radiant Hospital in Umoja.
The footage reignited public concern about the growing menace of organised juvenile gangs in the city’s eastern estates.
Emergence of Teenage Gangs
Preliminary findings by the DCI revealed that the youths have formed rival gangs operating under names such as Chinje, Mbogi, Bad Bunny, and Silent.
"These groups have been linked to violent confrontations, phone snatching, and theft in Tena, Innercore, Umoja I, II & III, Kayole, Kariobangi, and neighbouring areas. Recruitment often takes place during school holidays, exposing more youths to crime," stated DCI in part.
The Mohamed Amin-led agency has, however, assured the public that it remains committed to tackling the gang problem, promising an intensified crackdown in Umoja and other parts of Nairobi.
Community leaders strongly denounced the killing of the 15-year-old and convened urgent meetings to address the escalating problem of juvenile gangs, urging greater action from law enforcement to limit their growing influence.
As part of local interventions, an estate in Embakasi West, for example, reportedly introduced a curfew requiring all children to be off the streets by 6:00 p.m.
The directive, circulated through community WhatsApp groups, also warned that groups of unsupervised minors would face legal consequences.
