“These criminal elements often carry three to four pillion passengers and wield rungus to maim or kill innocent citizens for a soft life,” County Commissioner Mohamed Ramadhan warned as he added that their days are numbered.
KISUMU, May 2026 –Kisumu County has declared a total war on criminal elements, with top leadership demanding a coordinated, multi-agency crackdown to protect the region’s booming 24-hour economy.
In his address during the 64th Madaraka Day celebrations at Joel Omino Primary School, the newly appointed Kisumu County Commissioner, Mohamed Ramadhan, issued a stern one-month ultimatum to criminal gangs and rogue elements tarnishing the local economy.
Commissioner Ramadhan, taking over the reins from Benson Leparmorijo, who has been transferred to Nyamira County, did not mince words regarding the security state of the lakeside city and the broader county, which is inhabited by over 1.5 million people. He announced that within the next month, security agencies will ensure they get to the bottom of smoking out these criminals.
To achieve this, he instructed all Officers in Charge of Station, Nyumba Kumi initiatives, and Community Policing committees to coordinate and enforce these security directives immediately.The Commissioner took specific aim at criminals masquerading as boda boda motorcycle taxi operators, defending the legitimate transport sector while promising to weed out the bad apples.
He noted that genuine operators play a significant role in the growth and development of the economy, whereas the criminals are simply individuals who do not want to work hard.
“These criminal elements often carry three to four pillion passengers and wield rungus to maim or kill innocent citizens for a soft life,” he warned as he added that their days are numbered.
Beyond street crime, Ramadhan castigated organized goons who have made a habit of disrupting local funeral services, ordering law enforcers to crack down on them without mercy. He also urged local authorities to ensure streetlights are fully functional and to install new ones to eliminate the dark spots used by muggers, pointing out that the city’s huge investments can only thrive through enhanced security operations.
Echoing the Commissioner’s sentiments, Kisumu County Governor Prof Anyang’ Nyong’o emphasized that community vigilance is the bedrock of regional development. He noted that no society can prosper where traditions of intolerance and disorder prevail, because development only thrives where citizens live and work in peace.
Governor Nyong’o reminded residents that criminals are not faceless outsiders, stating that the first line of defense against criminals are the victims themselves.
“The people who maim and slay live among the community, and therefore residents must be ready to smoke them out and have them face the full course of the law,” he stressed.
In his comprehensive strategy to fortify the county, Commissioner Ramadhan also turned his attention to learning institutions, promising a hands-on approach to student safety. He announced plans to soon convene a meeting of all school heads to come up with lasting solutions to protect learners, even if it means moving from one school to another personally.
As part of this initiative, he suggested that schools should work together with security officers to better manage surveillance cameras, which are currently only found restricted to staff rooms and principals’ offices.
“With Kisumu firmly positioned as a commercial hub, we are sending a clear, unified message that security will be maintained at all costs to safeguard lives and investments,” both national and national government administrators warned.
