Case study 8: Zungu Zungu Vigilante group - Shouri Moyo ¹

1. Introduction

1.1. Role player: Zungu Zungu vigilante group

The Zungu Zungu vigilante group perceives the major crime prevention challenges in their locality as consisting of: (i) house breakages/burglary; (ii) general lawlessness; (iii) carjacking; (iv) the utilisation of the estate as a hideout for hard-drug barons and sophisticated criminals; (v) the use of the estate to conceal stolen property; and (vi) the kidnapping and sale of minors.²

1.1.1. Other role players

In ZZVG's view the role players in crime prevention are potentially all of Shauri Moyo's residents, domestic workers, grounds men, passers-by and the business people within the estate.

1.1.2. Role players' mandates

The mandate of domestic workers is to inform on suspicious occurrences in other Shauri Moyo residences, for instance the presence of suspect goods, vigilante members working with the criminal elements and the presence of known criminals. The grounds men's mandate is to keep the vegetation cover as low as possible, and to clear man-holes and blocked drainage. The first point is important because the Nairobi River forms the northern boundary of Shauri Moyo and is thus an area of fast-growing vegetation (mainly reeds). The vegetation and the infrastructure are recognised as niches of the environment where stolen goods are hidden.³

Passers-by are encouraged to report their sightings of criminal activities to the ZZVG. Business people who reside in Shauri Moyo are encouraged to contribute their skills, time, and finances to ZZVG. Their mandate is to assist ZZVG to succeed as an organisation.

1.1.3. Structure and tasks of the ZZVG

Since the role players are voluntary, there is no formal structure in existence except for ZZVG's organisational structure. As for their tasks, these have been outlined above.

1.1.4. Official and legal basis of crime prevention

There are two legal bases of crime prevention by vigilantes. The first is the powers bestowed by the Private Persons Act. Under this Act any Kenyan citizen can make an arrest. The second in the Chiefs Act, under which the ordinary citizen can call upon the grass-roots government administrator's assistance in conjunction with the Administrative Police to intervene in a security situation.

1.1.5. Area of jurisdiction

ZZVG's area of jurisdiction is Shauri Moyo residential estate and its client base consists solely of its residents, although the neighbouring residential areas gain from its crime prevention initiatives. Please refer to Figure 17.

1.1.6. Image

ZZVG feels that it has a positive image of itself, because over the years it has improved crime prevention in Shauri Moyo. It also feels secure because of the ownership of the ideas it has implemented. However ZZVG feels that it is not as effective as it could be because of the voluntary nature of its undertaking. Its members often opt out from tasks they are supposed to perform, such as a night beat. At the same time it was felt that ZZVG was not an efficient organisation.

1.1.7. Effectiveness

A qualitative assertion of its effectiveness is difficult to make because ZZVG as an organisation does not keep statistics of its anti-crime achievements. However, the Kenya Police Station at Shauri Moyo keeps statistics which reflect reported incidence of crime. These, however, reflect the combined efforts of all the crime prevention stakeholders, which are wider than the ZZVG.

1.2. Crime prevention mandate

As far as Zungu Zungu is concerned, the mandate for crime prevention comes from the residents of the estate who are collectively in fear for the security of their lives and property.

1.2.1. Links between national and local crime fighting

ZZVG's crime prevention initiatives are highly localised. The vigilantes felt that their initiatives had no direct links with national or Nairobi-wide crime prevention activities.

1.2.2. Linkages between crime prevention initiatives at a metropolitan level

There is no overt link between the crime prevention activities of this vigilante group and other initiatives at the metropolitan level. Vigilantes are unregistered and illegal in the eyes of the Police Force, the Nairobi City Council Inspectorate and the Government of Kenya. The perception of the group is that the better-organised vigilante groups masquerade as and are registered as 'residential organisations'. This legalises their existence and makes others like ZZVG suspect in the eyes of the law.

1.3. Partnerships

1.3.1. Structure of partnerships

Since ZZVG is a proscribed organisation, its partnerships are at the level of individual members' links with a variety of crime prevention organisations within the city. However, it was stated that links did exist with (i) the Kenya Police Force, (ii) the Nairobi City Inspectorate, (iii) other community crime prevention associations, and (iv) other vigilante groups.

1.3.2. Relations with partners

The relationship of any member of ZZVG with the Kenya Police is a one-way connection. It was made clear to the study that ZZVG members go to the police, but the police do not feel obliged to go to the ZZVG membership. In other words meetings are not held necessarily from the point of view of ZZVG. ZZVG's relationship with the Nairobi City Inspectorate is described as 'adequate', and as in the case of the Kenya Police is not necessarily reciprocal. ZZVG's cooperation with community crime prevention organisations and other similar vigilante groups
is felt to be even-handed.

1.3.3. Elements that hold the partnerships together

The partnerships hold together because all the above role players need one another. These partnerships are, however, informal and are not structured as they would be in a formal organisation. The Kenya Police appears to be grateful to the ZZVG membership for the following reasons: (i) the exchange of criminal intelligence; (ii) the provision of transport and fuel; (iii) providing evidence to prosecute criminals; and (iv) their offer of informant services. TheNCC Inspectorate recognises the ZZVG's member contributions in the following circumstances:

The ZZVG inform the NCCI in the case of the erection of socially undesirable and illegal structures in the residential area. Examples of such problems include the illegal erections of bars and lodgings.
The NCC accepts members as witnesses in court cases.

With regard to partnerships with other crime prevention associations, the key elements binding the stakeholders together are (i) the exchange of information on crime, (ii) resource sharing, and (iii) responding to distress calls in the neighbourhood.

1.3.4. Frequency of meetings

ZZVG hold meetings in Shauri Moyo as the need arises. The same principle applies to its individual members' meetings with other stakeholders, such as the Kenya Police or other vigilante groups.

1.3.5. Resource sharing

As there is no central office, the extent of resource sharing is not documented. This needs to be determined.

2. Crime Prevention Approaches

The type of crime prevention approach is that which calls upon the ZZVG membership to be on the lookout for the unusual and take action as a collective. As a proscribed organisation, this forces members to undertake the necessary links with the Police Force. The chairman schedules tasks for the day and people are sought to execute them on a voluntary basis. Current crime prevention approaches by the ZZVG include alerting neighbours through the use of (i) code words, (ii) blowing whistles, (iii) ululating, and (iv) calling police hotlines.

2.1. Type of crime prevention initiatives

ZZVG approaches crime prevention from a multiplicity of initiatives. The emphasis appears to be along the lines of law enforcement and situational prevention, and very little on the social prevention bracket of crime prevention approaches.

2.1.1. Localised crime prevention initiatives

All ZZVG crime prevention initiatives are localised in and around Shauri Moyo estate. Initiatives by ZZVG in 'law enforcement' include (i) continuous foot patrols in the estate, (ii) dog patrols, and (c) by-law enforcement in conjunction with the NCCI.

Under 'situational prevention', ZZVG initiatives include (i) the repair and maintenance of street lighting,⁴ and (ii) clearing by grounds men of vegetation and blocked infrastructure. The only evidence of initiatives in the 'social prevention' area is what could be equated to community watch and reporting to the ZZVG.

2.2. Philosophy on crime and crime prevention

The philosophy towards crime prevention seems to be based on the assumption that Kenya Police Force has manifestly failed to discharge its duties on behalf of the residents. Therefore it is in the interest of all Shauri Moyo residents that they partake in shielding themselves from the criminal element, both local and foreign, in the residential estate. And to accomplish these aims all known methods of Kenyan crime prevention practices are undertaken. In other words, the mind-set is to eliminate those elements in the social and physical environment which enable crime to take place.

2.2.1. Meaning of crime prevention

To the ZZVG role player, crime prevention means that they are contributing to a safer residential environment and they feel positive about that.

2.3. ZZVG's Crime prevention approaches

ZZVG has a great number of crime prevention approaches in Shauri Moyo. These include (i) the use of code words,⁵ (ii) blowing whistles, (iii) ululating, (iv) contacts through police hotlines, (v) foot patrols and beats, (vi) dog patrols, (vii) street lighting improvement, and (viii) the clearing of overgrown vegetation by grounds men.

2.3.1. Adoption of crime prevention approaches

These approaches were adopted for a variety of reasons. Some, like use of code words, ululating or whistling, cost next to nothing to implement. Others are traditional preventive approaches such as patrols. Some, like street lighting, were adopted after some organisation within the community.

2.3.2. Other models considered

These models came out of the suggestions of the victims of crime. They were born out of the frustrations of the residents and thus of local ownership.

2.4. Extent of local development

Foot patrols, dog patrols, and beats are not really innovations in themselves. The same can be said of grounds men clearing overgrown vegetation or the presence of functional street lighting. What is interesting is their application by ZZVG. The origin of these crime prevention initiatives is not difficult to find. These were functions which were previously carried out by the Kenya Police Force and the Nairobi City Council, but which had fallen into disarray with the worsening economic climate, and the corruption and apparent indifference of these institutions.

Local ownership and development of the above crime prevention initiatives is a given, as some of the leading figures in ZZVG are former policemen of the Kenya Police Force and resident business people.

2.5. Jurisdiction

ZZVG's territorial jurisdiction is the residential area of Shauri Moyo. Please refer to Figure 17.

2.6. Types of crimes targeted

ZZVG aims at a reduction of opportunistic crime, by undertaking the various initiatives, from grounds men constantly clearing vegetation and blocked drains to the continuous watch by the community for any unusual activities or known criminals. Continuous foot patrols, dog patrols and 'beating the beat' in the estate at night are clearly targeted at the would-be day or night criminal. The repair and maintenance of street lighting is a particularly powerful deterrent to night-time criminal activities.

2.7. Crimes overlooked

Like the Police Force, and despite a praiseworthy attempt at crime prevention, ZZVG does not appear to relate to domestic violence, which is a crime prevalent in the population. This omission appears to be cultural problem.⁶

Figure 17: Shauri Moyo: ZZVG's territory

2.8. Crime prevention fit with the Metropolitan Council's vision

The consensus of security stakeholders in Nairobi is that there is no Nairobi City Council vision or policy on metropolitan crime prevention.⁷ This aspect has been already touched upon in the Nairobi City Council Inspectorate section of this report. Therefore ZZVG crime prevention can be conceptualised as initiatives taking place in a NCC policy vacuum.

2.9. Beneficiaries of the approaches

Beneficiaries of the collective ZZVG crime prevention approaches are the residents of Shauri Moyo and of neighbouring residential estates. The beneficiaries in concrete terms include (i) vehicle owners from neighbouring residential estates as well as those from Shauri Moyo, who are attracted by and utilise the safe, well-lit car parks; (ii) many who use the estate as a shortcut to the adjacent residential housing estates, because the neighbourhood is safe.

2.10. Territorial jurisdiction of the approaches

The territorial jurisdiction of these approaches in principle is the Shauri Moyo residential estate and the adjoining areas. Please refer to Figure 17.

2.11. Process

2.11.1. Origins of crime prevention approaches
Crime prevention in Shauri Moyo originated in the mid-1980s when residents decided to cooperate and exchange information on housebreaking, which was the most frequent crime. This was also the time when the Kenya Police Force concentrated its own crime prevention efforts on the centre of Nairobi, and residential areas were left more or less to take care of their own security problems.

2.11.1.1. Drawing role players into the process

2.11.1.2. The catalyst

⁸

2.11.1.3. Role players' involvement in the conceptualisation of the crime prevention approaches

2.11.1.4. Mediation of priorities

2.11.1.5. Origins of initiatives

Code words, the blowing of whistles and ululating are typical traditional means of alerting neighbours in any distress situation in this part of the world. However, it is likely that the use of the whistles may have come from their use in the colonial police force.
Police hotlines were once in place. This was a common means of communication with the Kenya Police. Foot patrols and the beat may also have come from police force practice.
Dogs for patrols are bought by individual residents of Shauri Moyo, and then handed over to the vigilante group. The idea of dog patrols also originated in their use by the Kenya police.
Street lighting remains an outstanding community initiative in Nairobi, given that the NCC and the other public utilities had for a long time fallen short in their service deliveries. The initiative can be considered as the rehabilitation of infrastructure to a functional level.
Clearing by grounds men of overgrown vegetation was again the norm as a Nairobi City Council operation in the past.

2.12. Strategy design and development

Crime prevention strategies in Shauri Moyo were developed by the victims of these crimes, i.e. its residents. In the forefront were ex-police officers who reside in the estate, as well as business persons who could assist financially. This is a group of people who had had exposure to how these security problems could be dealt with elsewhere.

2.12.1. The role of the city and other role players in this process

The NCC was not involved in any of these ZZVG strategy developments.

2.13. Description of strategy

2.13.1. The strategies

The range of strategies is as follows:

Code words are secret sounds or words uttered to members of the vigilante group which are a simple means of communicating over the heads of strangers unaware that they are being monitored. Codes have to be changed from time to time.
Blowing whistles is simply a way of alerting neighbours and anybody within earshot.
Ululating, of which there are a number of variations, is a natural method of raising the alarm. It is useful alternative in the absence of a whistle.
Police hotlines were previously a free means of communicating rapidly with the Kenya Police Force.
Foot patrols, the beat and dog patrols are a strategy of visible policing, where presence with or without a uniform is a means of asserting authority. The addition of dogs means that the prospective offender faces the dangers of attack by ferocious but trained dogs.
Street lighting as a strategy is simply to light up the night and so deprive the criminals of the cover of darkness.
Grounds men are volunteers who clear overgrown vegetation. In this way they deny cover to criminals in person and the goods which they hide in grass verges.

2.13.2. The main components of the strategies

The strategies, objectives and desired outcomes can be clustered as follows.

The common objectives of using code words, blowing of whistles and ululation is to alert members and residents to a deteriorating security situation. The desired outcome is the converging of people to help the victim or to deter the would-be criminal.
The objective of the hotline used to be to alert the Kenya Police and the desired outcome was the arrival of the police at the scene as quickly as possible. The hotlines no longer function as a strategy.
The objective of foot patrols, beats and dog patrols is to demonstrate a 'presence', i.e. visibility. The desired outcome is to deter criminals from their intentions.
The objective of street lighting is to light the streets at night. The desired outcome is to deny criminals the cover of the night.
Maintaining the grass verges at a reasonable height aims at clearing vegetation in which criminals hide. The desired outcome is that there should be no spot where stolen goods can easily be hidden.

2.13.3. Implementation of the strategies

The implementation of these approaches is either taken on a personal initiative or as a group.

Thus

Code words are 'implemented' by teaching them to members.
Ululation is not really 'taught' as this skill is usually learnt as part of the socialisation of the typical Kenyan.
If one is to be involved in blowing whistles, then the cost of the whistle is upon oneself.
The police hotline no longer functions as a strategy.
Foot patrols and dog patrols are undertaken after training.
With regard to street lighting, the implementation involved residents agreeing to pay for the repair, replacement and maintenance of the street lighting infrastructure.
There are schedules of grass and grounds clearance, especially where the vegetation grows rapidly.

2.13.4. Emphasis within the strategy

Again there are clusters with similar emphasis.

Thus

Code words, the blowing of whistles and ululation should only be used when there is the need to use them. They are not to be misused, because the consequences could be unfortunate. The gathering of people at the point of the alarm proves the success of the strategy.
The emphasis in foot and dog patrols is that the estate is physically covered whilst at the same time security intelligence is gathered. They are organised on a daily basis with 24 hour coverage, especially in areas frequented by criminals. Patrols are on a voluntary basis. The preempting of criminal intent informs this strategy.
The emphasis on grounds men and street lighting is to deny cover to the criminal element day and night. The successful drop in opportunistic crime proves the success of this strategy.

2.13.5. Emphasis within the strategies

There are several emphases that cut across all strategies. These are (i) passing on of security information to the police; (ii) the sacrifice and volunteering of personal resources, as in the use of cell phones or telephone booths, or the provision of one's transport for the police or other residents in need; and (iii) assisting needy members in times of urgent distress.

2.13.6. Easy and problematic strategies

Except for the hotlines, which do not exist any more, the verdict was that the rest of the strategies were easy to implement.

3. Implementation

3.1. The implementation of the strategies

The range of initiatives takes place as follows.

Code words, the blowing of whistles and ululating are taught to members of the vigilante group and residents.
When police hotlines worked, police officers often came and lectured people in the community halls on how the service worked.
Foot patrols, the beat and dog patrols follow areas of known criminal activity.
Since Shauri Moyo is not a large estate, street lighting was implemented through getting residents to contribute money per household.
Grounds men consist of volunteers who clear overgrown vegetation where it occurs.⁹

3.2. Monitoring crime prevention approaches

This is how strategies are monitored, responsibility taken and delivery ensured.

Members of the ZZVG group have the responsibility for monitoring the use of code words. The secret and successful use of these to warn or ward off criminals is the way in which the ZZVG ensures delivery.
Residents and even passersby have a responsibility for security and can monitor by means of whistle blowing and ululation. The immediate response of the members and the community to the raised alarm testifies to the success of the strategy.
The police hotline does not work any more and thus it is outside this evaluation.
Foot and dog patrols are monitored by volunteers. Delivery of the strategy is proved by preempting of crime and falling crime levels.
Grounds men are monitored by volunteers. The delivery of the strategy is proved by clear unobstructed grounds.

3.3. Timing of strategy implementation

All the above outlined strategies run on a continuous basis if possible.

3.4. Sharing of resources

Most of the crime prevention strategies call for the volunteering of one's person, resources and time. It is in rare cases such as in the street lighting strategy that residents had to collectively contribute a given amount of money.

3.5. Funding

The funding of activities is on a self-help and voluntary basis. Enlightened residents of Shauri Moyo use their own personal resources to fund the crime prevention activities in the estate. Thus members would buy a dog for patrols, fuel a police vehicle, lend their own car for needed work, buy slashes for cutting the vegetation, and so on.

3.6. Functioning of crime prevention approaches

There is a feeling that the approaches to crime prevention are working, but not efficiently. An issue that runs across the board is the lack of firearms by the ZZVG and individual members to counter violent robbers and carjackers.

3.7. Intra-agency and inter-agency crime prevention

This takes several forms. (i) Cooperation with other community based crime prevention organisations is 'good', as they exchange crime intelligence information, often share resources and respond to neighbourhood distress calls. (ii) The cooperation with the Kenya Police is described as 'inadequate'. (iii) Links with the NCBDA are referred to as 'successful'.

3.8. Tentative recommendations for improved crime prevention

ZZVG recommended the following to crime prevention stakeholders: share information and resources.

4. Best practice and lessons learnt

4.1. Best practice

The following best practices run across all the initiatives. (i) There is a need for a reasonable exchange of crime information with neighbouring crime prevention associations or groups. (ii) It is useful to share resources.

4.2. Lessons learnt

The main lesson learnt in sharing resources is that some residents are mean with their finances and time, whilst others have a poor response to distress calls.

Other lessons are: (i) The cooperation with the Kenya Police is inadequate. Meetings are only on a personal level (note: some members of ZZVG are ex-police officers), as the vigilantes cannot meet the police as an outlawed organisation. (ii) There is a need for more integrity and professionalism on the part of the police in their investigations of crime. (iii) Relationships should be reciprocal; the police cannot expect help from the community whilst it feels it is not obliged to do the same, as is often the case in transport logistics.

4.3. Planning considerations

4.3.1. Crime prevention strategies within Nairobi's development plans and strategies

There is no long-term development plan for Nairobi city. The last Metropolitan Plan was in 1972 and since then there has not been any citywide plan although there have been a number of very sound proposals.

With the assumption of power by the NARC Government at the end of 2002, with its planned reorganisation of Local Government, the Nairobi City Council and its priorities in the restructuring of security, a crime prevention strategy might emerge for Nairobi. As matters now stand, ZZVG's crime prevention initiatives, as is the case with all the case studies presented in this report, are stand-alone initiatives with limited coordination with other stakeholders.

4.3.2. Planning departments and the existing metropolitan crime prevention strategy

The planning department does not engage in crime prevention, therefore it has not considered any strategies. Furthermore there are no citywide crime prevention strategies.

4.3.3. Lessons for planning departments for improved crime prevention at the metropolitan level

The clear lesson for planning departments is that there is a need to engage the commendable work done by vigilante groups such as Zungu Zungu in overall crime prevention policy planning when Nairobi finally comes to working out such a strategy or plan. The Zungu Zungu group states that they already cooperate with the NCBDA, other estate vigilantes and private security firms, albeit at an individual level rather then as a vigilante group.¹⁰

4.3.4. Crime prevention and the planning department

There exists no tradition of crime prevention being accommodated in a planning department. However, what ZZVG does in essence is planning for crime prevention at the neighbourhood level. Thus in principle there is no reason to prevent these efforts being considered within a planning department.

4.4. Benefits for local government

4.4.1. Local government benefits from this study

The NCC as a local government could benefit from this study in that it should, especially at this opportune time of change in the political outlook of Kenya, scrutinise what the people are capable of undertaking without government assistance and use it as a pointer to possible formal incorporation of such crime prevention structures in the reformed local government.¹¹

4.4.2. Local authority benefits from this study

The NCC could benefit from this study by beginning to understand how its problems and those of the wider Kenya have spawned a considerable number of grass-roots crime prevention initiatives within Nairobi. With the imminent restructuring of the NCC in view, it would be wise for its planning department to take cognizance of such traditionally ignored groups as the Zungu Zungu in local planning.

4.4.3. Types of support the local authority needs for improved crime prevention

The NCC and government should discreetly use the provisions of the law to protect vigilante groups and open up their registration as lawful entities. Cooperation with the Kenya Police could be improved.

Notes

Shauri Moyo is literally 'Hobson's Choice'. It had its beginnings as a low-income residential estate for Nairobi's workers.
See 'Nairobi tense after child killings'. BBC News. 5 October 2000.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/world/africa/957696.stm
The use of sewer manholes to hide stolen property (rapped in plastic or polythene bags) was a common route for stolen goods. Criminals are of the mind set that nobody in their rightful mind would really wish to check smelly and overflowing sewers. Besides, the NCC is not expected to do anything about it, and hence these form a perfect temporary hideout.
Over the past two to three decades the NCC has failed to maintain street lighting for which it is paid rates, responsible for and collects taxes. The infrastructure is in place, but it has been unable to undertake repairs and maintenance.
Code words may be as simple as miming bird songs for certain situations or as asking for 'more fat cooks' when this actually stands for more stones for defending a siege by criminals.
It is almost a certainty that domestic violence and its reportage as a crime are not high in the consciousness of Kenyans. I was informed that reporting domestic violence normally elicits derision and laughter at police stations or in vigilante meetings.
These views were expressed by SRIC, Institute of Development Studies (University of Nairobi), and the National Intelligence Security Services.
In the 1980s this argument could be contradicted by the view held by the group themselves that the Kenya Police was then an efficient force and there was respect and fear for the law.
The northern boundary of Shauri Moyo runs along what is left of the polluted Nairobi River. This is an area were the vegetation grows rapidly.
Within a month (in January 2003) of the new NARC Government taking office, pronouncements were made that the Kenya Police Force would have a new outlook, new training, a new mind set and collective responsibility.
The Administrative Police are part of the Kenya Police Force, who are specifically charged with protecting government officers and property.

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