A report compiled by a special team within the Ministry of Education has provided helpful insights into the factors that propel Kenyan teenagers to join criminal gangs.
The five top risk factors that make teenagers susceptible to criminal groups are absent parents, peer pressure, poverty, attempts to cope with rejection and influence from satanic practices.
Lack of guidance occasioned by absent parents coupled with peer pressure were the largest contributors to making school-going children and teenagers the prime target for criminal gang recruiters.
"Some parents were reported to have been regularly absent from homes and therefore not available for their children. In the absence of necessary guidance, the children were left on their own to learn from their peers or any other persons whom they interacted with," stated the report.
In the case of Nairobi's "Prettiest Thug" Claire Njoki Kibia, her immediate family's reluctance to speak at her funeral was an indication of a difficult relationship between them.
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The report also outlined that the teenagers joined the criminal groups to make money which comes majorly from criminal activities and to avoid rejection by gaining a sense of belonging.
A shocking revelation by the report established a link between an understanding of devil worship and the inclination to join the criminal groups.
"During the investigation, the team noted narratives pointing to the existence of devil worship in schools. For instance, 48 out of 703 students admitted the existence of devil worship.
"Other self-confessed devil worshippers wore rings and chains believed to have protective powers and which they claimed were sources of their strength," the report observed.
