KISUMU, 4 Sept 2026 — Police officers, prison personnel and young people in Kisumu County have taken to the pitch in an initiative aimed at strengthening relations between law enforcement agencies and the communities they serve.
The tournament, organised by the Community Policing Committee, brought together teams drawn from the disciplined services and local youth in a bid to promote dialogue, cooperation and peaceful coexistence.
Organisers said the initiative was also intended to encourage young people to engage positively with law enforcement agencies and participate more actively in community policing efforts amid concerns over insecurity in parts of the county.
James Omwa, the County Coordinator for Community Policing Committees, said the programme was prompted by concerns over the involvement of some young people in crime and violent activities.
“In Kisumu, we’ve had challenges related to insecurity, with our young boys being involved in crime and participating in violent activities,” Omwa said.
He said bringing the different groups together through sports was intended to challenge negative perceptions and build trust between communities and security agencies.
“We wanted them to collaborate and cooperate so that we could remove some slogans that branded the National Police Service as an enemy of the community,” Omwa said.
With the day’s theme dubbed “taking responsibility”, participants were encouraged to recognise their respective roles in promoting safer communities.
Kisumu County Criminal Investigations Officer (CCIO) Stephen Ambani said maintaining security should not be viewed solely as the responsibility of the police, urging residents to report suspected criminal activities through appropriate channels.
“Crime is not just for that police officer to detect; it is also for you to be able to identify,” Ambani said.
He also raised concerns about what he described as a growing culture of “goonism” among young people, particularly as the country heads towards the 2027 General Election.
Ambani urged residents to share information with security agencies and assured them that information provided to the authorities would be treated confidentially.
“When we hide crime within hours, it becomes an issue affecting all of us. It affects the entire society,” he said.
Martin Olero the Assistant Superintendent of the Kenya Prisons Service said the sporting competition was secondary to the broader objective of promoting unity between security agencies and the community.
Olero made the remarks after his team lost 7–6 on post-match penalties to Bayern fc of Obunga.
“I want to concede the defeat. We were beaten 7–6 in post-match penalties. However, our main aim of being here is to inform the youth that we all belong to the same society; thus, it is important to coexist well,” he said.
Community leaders and security officials said addressing insecurity requires cooperation among law enforcement agencies, parents, young people and other members of the community rather than assigning blame to a single group.
The organisers said they will evaluate the security situation in Kisumu over the next three months to assess its impact on community relations and the security situation in the county.
They also called for sustained participation of young people in community policing programmes, particularly as the country approaches the 2027 General Election.
