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Vigilantism Becoming Daily Activity in Kenya
Many Kenya citizens say they're tired of being preyed upon by hoodlums and ignored by corrupt police, so they're taking the law into their own hands.
Start Date: 3/25/99
Slum dwellers in Nairobi, Kenya's capital city, say they are sick of being preyed upon by hoodlums and ignored by corrupt, indifferent police officials. Increasingly, they are taking the law into their own hands.
Mob justice is hardly a new idea. But, according to the Associated Press, vigilantism is reaching unprecedented proportions in this East African nation. In one recent incident, a purse snatcher was captured by irate witnesses, doused with gasoline and set on fire. In another, three thieves who had reportedly terrorized residents of the Kibera slum for weeks were confronted by an outraged mob and beaten to death on the street.
Kenyan police say that, while some incidents appear spontaneous, others are obviously deliberate. There are vigilante tribunals that conduct "trials" in back alleys or in the woods outside of town. Justice -- such as it is -- can be swift and severe.
Part of the problem is that Kenyan police are poorly paid and are often willing to release known criminals in exchange for bribes. As a result, many law-abiding Kenyans have no respect for the police and little patience with the established justice system.
"The police have no incentive to deal with conflict," says Dr. Frank Njenga, a Nairobi psychiatrist who monitors mob justice. "It's not that Kenyans are savages. We're normal people living under abnormal circumstances. People don't see any light at the end of the tunnel. We're sinking into an abyss."
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