Kenya is witnessing a shift in the landscape of criminal activity as gangs increasingly move online, exploiting digital tools to plan crimes, recruit members, and spread propaganda.
In a report launched Thursday, the National Cohesion and Integration Commission says this new digital era of crime is fuelling political manipulation and undermining social stability ahead of the 2027 elections.
The commission, led by Samuel Kobia, notes that these gangs are no longer made up of uneducated youths from rural areas. Instead, they include tech-savvy young people with higher education and digital skills who struggle to find stable employment.
This vulnerability is being exploited by some politicians, who allegedly finance and direct these groups to intimidate opponents, mobilise voters, and provide security during election campaigns.
Historical data shows rapid expansion of gangs across the country.
In 2012, the National Crime Research Centre identified 46 groups, growing to 326 by 2017, with 116 operating in 15 counties despite a 2016 government ban outlawing 90 of them. Mombasa, Nairobi, and Kilifi host the largest number of gangs, with 73, 56, and 47, respectively, followed by Nakuru, Kiambu, and Kisumu.
The gangs engage in armed robbery, mugging, murder, drug trafficking, extortion, carjacking, illegal utility connections, and M-Pesa fraud. Juveniles are heavily involved, some as young as 11, though most members are between 15 and 35 years old, often armed with knives, pangas, and firearms.
The NCIC highlights the growing influence of social media, noting that platforms like Twitter, Facebook, WhatsApp, and TikTok allow gangs to operate anonymously, coordinate criminal acts, and spread disinformation.
“The preponderance of social media platforms such as Twitter, Facebook, WhatsApp, and TikTok have become fertile ground for these groups, enabling them to mobilise quickly, spread propaganda and incite violence with alarming efficiency,” the report states.
The gangs use online spaces to inflame hatred through ethnic slurs, fake news, and propaganda.
“Online criminal gangs further use social media to recruit, mobilise for support, communicate, and organise their unlawful actions. Protest movements and revolutionists have utilised these spaces to mobilise the masses—unifying, organising and spurring them to action,” the report adds.
The commission warns that digital skills without employment opportunities leave youth exposed to exploitation by criminal networks.
The 2024–2025 Gen Z protests illustrated the power of online platforms to drive public mobilisation, sometimes fueled by false or exaggerated information.
“This demonstrated the potent power of these platforms for collective action—a power that can be exploited by criminal elements for disreputable purposes,” the report says.
Overall, the NCIC warns that the combination of digital tools, youth unemployment, and political exploitation is a growing threat to national cohesion and political stability.
The report urges authorities to address the risks posed by online recruitment, hate speech, and misinformation to protect social unity as Kenya approaches the 2027 elections.
