Taliban (gang)

Last updated

The Taliban is a Kenyan criminal organization that has no connection to the Afghan Taliban other than its name. They belong to the Luo tribe. [1] and feel allegiance to Luo leader and multiple Kenyan presidential candidate Raila Odinga. [2] [3] Their leader is Joash Oluande, a born-again Christian. [4] They recruit primarily from Mathare, Huruma, Baba Dogo, Kariobangi North and Kariobangi South quarters, slums of Nairobi.Their main opponents are the Mungiki of the Kikuyu tribe. [4]

Contents

History

The Taliban emerged as an offshoot of the Baghdad Boys, the original grouping that was the Luo tribes' response to the Mungiki. The Baghdad Boys of Kisumu emerged in the early 1990s around the time of the Gulf War, which gives inference to the choice of name. [3] They were frequently used as a militia in Kenya's first general elections after the introduction of the multiparty system,[6] in 1992 and 1997. [5] The group, most recently active in the Nairobi slums of Mathare and Ruaraka, [6] later broke up into several factions, with Taliban being the largest and most influential. Other splinter groups include ChinaSquadNyalenda Base, Chief Squad, Nyamasaria Massive, Kenda Kenda, Kondele Baghdad for Peace, Karamojong Boys, Saba Saba, Artur Margaryan, Kebago, and American Marines. [7]

The Taliban split from the Baghdad Boys in about 2001 in the Eastlands slums in Nairobi because Luos felt increasingly exploited and threatened by Mungikis. [8] The name Taliban is a Luo allusion to the way people in Afghanistan resisted American occupation by throwing stones. This is a commonality, as Luo men like to fight using stones as weapons. [9]

The Taliban began as kamjeshi. In the Kenyan youth language Sheng, this term refers to groups of young men who provide security at bus stops and public transportation for a fee. The Taliban had political affiliations from the beginning, but their political ties and ethnic profile became more apparent in their dispute with Mungiki over control of transportation routes. [10]

As early as 2002, the Taliban, along with the Mungiki, were banned by the police after a battle for supremacy over public transport protection fees (Matatus), [8] by 300 members of both gangs, in the Nairobi slum of Kariobangi, left 21 youths from both sides dead by axes and machetes. [5]

In 2006, massive conflict between the Mungiki and Taliban erupted again when the Mungiki tried to collect a higher levy on Changaa in a slum, [11] an area in which the Taliban are also active. [12] The brewers and distillers called on the Taliban for help, and excesses of violence ensued, [11] [13] in which the Taliban were also supported by the Baghdad Boys, Sakina youth, and Dallas youth. [8]

In 2007, the confrontation between the two groups took on more political dimensions as the Taliban were allied with Raila Odinga's Orange Democratic Movement and Mungiki were affiliated with Mwai Kibaki's Party of National Unity. [8]

In the 2007 general election, the Taliban acted as a vigilante group against Kikuyu ethnic cleansing, [14] in which 1,500 people were murdered, [15] including 20 people beheaded by the Mungiki. [5] Ultimately, however, the goal for the Taliban was to take over Mungiki areas in Mathare. For example, they were able to take over illegal Changaa breweries in Bodeni, formerly Munigik territory. [10]

Also in the 2017/2018 election period, clashes between supporters of the two camps and the police resulted in between 1,000 and 1,500 deaths. [16] [17] [18] A similar, albeit weakened, picture emerged in the August 2022 presidential elections. [15] [19] [20]

Sources of revenue

The Taliban's main sources of income are changaa trading, protection rackets, especially with public transport operators, specifically matatus, [1] [16] selling stolen electricity, [4] mobilizing people to attend political rallies, settling disputes, providing water, armed robbery, drug trafficking, vehicle theft and trafficking, kidnapping for ransom, money laundering, theft of antiques, livestock theft, money collection for landlords, [21] fees for toilet use, [22] control of municipal dumps, [23] and informal security services. [24] Women are employed for espionage and storage of stolen loot, drug trafficking, and sexual services. [21]

Self-Image

The Taliban form alliances with gangs ( People's Liberation Army and the Group of 41 [16] ) of the Kalendjin tribe, [12] which includes President Wiliam Ruto, who was elected in 2022.

The Taliban see themselves as serving the Luo people, administering justice and protecting them in the event of Mungiki attacks. [8] [12] They are notorious for their public executions, in which the guilty is stoned until he can no longer walk and then burned alive. [4]

Taliban weapons include slingshots and machetes. [16]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mwai Kibaki</span> President of Kenya from 2002 to 2013

Emilio Stanley Mwai Kibaki was a Kenyan politician who served as the third President of Kenya from December 2002 until April 2013. He served in various leadership positions in Kenya's government including being the longest serving Member of Parliament (MP) in Kenya from 1963 to 2013.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jaramogi Oginga Odinga</span> 1st Vice President of Kenya

Jaramogi Ajuma Oginga Odinga was a Kenyan politician who became a prominent figure in Kenya's struggle for independence. He served as Kenya's first vice-president, and thereafter as opposition leader. Odinga's son Raila Odinga is a former prime minister, and another son, Oburu Odinga, is a former assistant minister in the Ministry of Finance.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kalonzo Musyoka</span> 10th Vice President of Kenya

Stephen Kalonzo Musyoka is a Kenyan politician who was the tenth Vice-President of Kenya from 2008 to 2013. Musyoka served in the government under the late President Daniel arap Moi as the Secretary of Kenya African National Union party (1980-1988), Assistant Minister for Works (1986-1988), Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly (1988-1992), Minister for Foreign Affairs from 1993 until 1998, Minister of Education (1998-2001); and subsequently, under the late President Mwai Kibaki, he was Minister of Foreign Affairs again from 2003 to 2004, then Minister of the Environment from 2004 to 2005. He was an unsuccessful candidate in the 2007 presidential election, after which he was appointed vice-president by Kibaki in January 2008.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Forum for the Restoration of Democracy – Kenya</span> Political party in Kenya

Forum for the Restoration of Democracy–Kenya (FORD–Kenya) is a Kenyan political party. The party has sat in the government of Kenya once, under the National Rainbow Coalition, from 2003 to 2007, having ended forty years of one party rule. In April 2022, the party joined the Kenya Kwanza coalition for the August 2022 elections, and is headed by Moses Wetangula, the current speaker of the National Assembly of Kenya. The party tends to be more popular among the Luhya people.

Mungiki is a banned ethnic organisation in Kenya. The name means "a united people" or "multitude" in the Kikuyu language. The religion, which apparently originated in the late 1980s, is secretive and bears some similarity to mystery religions. Specifics of their origin and doctrines are unclear. What is clear is that they favour a return to indigenous African traditions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kibera</span> Urban slum in Nairobi, Kenya

Kibera is a division and neighbourhood of Nairobi, Kenya, 6.6 kilometres (4.1 mi) from the city centre. Kibera is the largest slum in Nairobi, and the largest urban slum in Africa. The 2009 Kenya Population and Housing Census reports Kibera's population as 170,070, contrary to previous estimates of one or two million people. Other sources suggest the total Kibera population may be 500,000 to well over 1,000,000 depending on which slums are included in defining Kibera.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Luo people</span> Nilotic ethnic group in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda

The Luo of Kenya and Tanzania are a Nilotic ethnic group native to western Kenya and the Mara Region of northern Tanzania in East Africa. The Luo are the fourth-largest ethnic group (10.65%) in Kenya, after the Kikuyu (17.13%), the Luhya (14.35%) and the Kalenjin (13.37%). The Tanzanian Luo population was estimated at 1.1 million in 2001 and 3.4 million in 2020. They are part of a larger group of related Luo peoples who inhabit an area ranging from South Sudan, southwestern Ethiopia, northern and eastern Uganda, southwestern Kenya, and northern Tanzania, making them one of the largest ethnic group in East Africa.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">James Orengo</span> Kenyan lawyer and human rights activist

James Aggrey Bob Orengo is a Kenyan lawyer, a human rights activist and politician who is the current governor for Siaya County. He is also one of the few Kenyan lawyers who have attained the professional grade of Senior counsel in the legal field, a title that he earned during the Kibaki administration.

The Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) is a centre-left political party in Kenya. It is the successor of a grassroots people's movement that was formed during the 2005 Kenyan constitutional referendum campaign. This movement separated in August 2007 into the Orange Democratic Movement Party of Kenya and the Wiper Democratic Movement – Kenya.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Matatu</span> Public transportation minibuses in Kenya

In Kenya, matatu or matatus are privately owned minibuses used as share taxis. Often decorated, many matatu feature portraits of famous people or slogans and sayings. Likewise, the music they play is also aimed at quickly attracting riders. Over 70% of commuter trips are taken using matatu in cities like Nairobi.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mathare</span>

Mathare is a collection of slums in Nairobi with a population of approximately 500,000 people; the population of Mathare Valley alone, the oldest of the slums that make up Mathare, is 180,000 people. Mathare is the home of football teams Mathare United and Real Mathare of the MYSA. Mathare is currently part of two electoral constituencies; the titular Mathare Constituency and the northern part being in Ruaraka Constituency. The northern part was initially part of Kasarani Constituency up to the 2013 elections when Kasarani was split into three electoral constituencies; Ruaraka being among them. The southern part was domiciled in Starehe Constituency.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Changaa</span> Distilled alcoholic beverage

Changaa or Chang'aa is a traditional home-brewed spirit, popular in Kenya. It is made by fermentation and distillation from grains like millet, maize and sorghum, and is very potent.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2007 Kenyan general election</span>

General elections were held in Kenya on 27 December 2007. Voters elected the President, and members of the National Assembly. They coincided with the 2007 Kenyan local elections.

The 2007–2008 Kenyan crisis was a violent political, economic, and humanitarian crisis in Kenya. The crisis erupted after incumbent President Mwai Kibaki was declared the winner of the 2007 presidential election. Supporters of Kibaki's main opponent in that election, Raila Odinga of the Orange Democratic Movement, alleged electoral manipulation. This position was widely confirmed by international observers, as being perpetrated by both parties in the election. Even the head of the electoral commission himself confirmed that he did not know who had won the elections despite announcing the incumbent as president.

The Waki Commission, officially The Commission of Inquiry on Post Election Violence (CIPEV), was an international commission of inquiry established by the Government of Kenya in February 2008 to investigate the clashes in Kenya following the disputed Kenyan presidential election of 2007.

The Kisumu massacre occurred when the presidential guard and police forces shot and killed several civilians in Kisumu Town, the capital of Nyanza Province in Kenya. This took place on 25 October 1969. The official death toll from government sources stands at 11 fatalities but other sources place this number at closer to 100. Victims included women and children, some of whom were shot 30–50 km away from the epicentre of the riots. According to media reports, the government of the day attempted to cover up the extent of the massacre.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jubilee Party</span> Nationalist political party in Kenya

The Jubilee Party of Kenya is a major political party in Kenya. It has significantly influenced the country's political landscape since its founding on 8 September 2016. Emerging from a merger of 11 smaller parties, including The National Alliance (TNA) led by then-President Uhuru Kenyatta and the United Republican Party (URP) led by then-Deputy President William Ruto, Jubilee quickly became the ruling party. It secured a strong plurality in Parliament during the 2017 elections, cementing its dominance as Uhuru Kenyatta won re-election as president.

Kondele is a district of the city of Kisumu, the third largest city in Kenya, and the second largest city, after Kampala, in the Lake Victoria Basin. Kondele is the most densely populated of the three satellite towns of Kisumu metropolitan region, the others being Maseno and Ahero. It is Kisumu City's most notable region and cultural identifier and one of the most densely populated regions in Kisumu County, Kenya. It lies on the A1 road that connects Kisumu and Vihiga. The town is administered by the Kondele County Assembly ward, an administrative ward which is part of the wards that represent Kisumu Central constituency in Kisumu county assembly. The ward is represented by the Kondele Member of County Assembly.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2018 Kenya handshake</span> 2018 political truce between two leading political factions

The 2018 Kenya handshake was a political truce made on the 9th of March 2018 between Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta and former Kenyan Prime Minister Raila Odinga. The two had been the leaders of opposing political factions amidst widespread political violence and civil unrest; they had previously faced one another in the contested 2017 Kenyan general election. Under the agreement, their political feud was resolved, with Kenyatta agreeing to support Odinga in the upcoming presidential elections. As a result, the Azimio coalition was formed, Uhuru became its chairman, and Odinga as the presidential candidate with Martha Karua as his running mate. They lost to William Ruto, who was Kenyatta's deputy at the time. They challenged Ruto's victory in the Supreme Court, however, Chief Justice Martha Koome said his claims did not meet the evidentiary threshold and dismissed the case. At a March 2023 protest in Nairobi they demanded an audit of the IEBC election servers.

Mwiki is a low-income neighbourhood in the counties of Nairobi and Kiambu. It is approximately 14 kilometres (8.7 mi) northeast of the central business district of Nairobi. Due to its transregional nature, the part of Mwiki that is within Nairobi is referred as Kasarani Mwiki while the other portion domiciled in Kiambu is referred as Githurai Mwiki.

References

  1. 1 2 Opala, Ken (2020-11-01). "The Politics of Crime: Kenya's gang phenomenon" (PDF). globalinitiative.net. Retrieved 2023-09-12.
  2. ↑ Houreld, Katharine (2008-02-01). "Desperate Kenyans turn to gangs for protection from ethnic violence". New Bedford Standard-Times. Retrieved 2023-09-12.
  3. 1 2 Van Stapele, Naomi (July 2010). MAISHA BORA, KWA NANI? A COOL LIFE, FOR WHOM? MEDIATIONS OF MASCULINITY, ETHNICITY, AND VIOLENCE IN A NAIROBI SLUMS in e: Africa-Europe Group for Interdisciplinary Studies. Leiden: Koninklijke Brill N.V. p. 107. ISBN   978-90-04-18541-8.
  4. 1 2 3 4 Aarhus, Paige (2012-01-09). "The Mungiki, the Taliban, and Me". Vice.
  5. 1 2 3 "Police target illegal gangs after Kariobangi". The New Humanitarian. 2002-03-14. Retrieved 2023-09-13.
  6. ↑ "Gangs take over Nairobi leaving trails of fear and death". The Standard. Retrieved 2023-09-13.
  7. ↑ owaahh (2013-05-14). "7 Most Dangerous Militia in Kenya's History". Owaahh. Retrieved 2023-09-13.
  8. 1 2 3 4 5 Ngunyi, Mutahi (2014). "From Monopoly to Oligopoly of Violence: Exploration of a Four-Point Hypothesis Regarding Organised and Organic Militia in Kenya" (PDF). undp.org. Retrieved 2023-09-06.
  9. ↑ Van Stapele, Naomi (2023-09-06). "'We are not Kenyans': extra-judicial killings, manhood and citizenship in Mathare, a Nairobi ghetto". Conflict, Security & Development. 16 (4): 320.
  10. 1 2 Van Stapele, Naomi (2015). "Respectable 'illegality': Gangs, masculinities and belonging in a Nairobi ghetto" (PDF). uva.nl. Retrieved 2023-09-06.
  11. 1 2 Mühlbauer, Peter (2007-07-06). "Neuheidnische Moslems gegen christliche Taliban". Telepolis (in German). Retrieved 2023-09-13.
  12. 1 2 3 Ehrenkranz, Andrew; Johnson, Scott (2008-01-15). "Gangs of Nairobi". The Daily Star. Retrieved 2023-09-13.
  13. ↑ Gettleman, Jeffrey (2006-11-10). "Chased by Gang Violence, Residents Flee Kenyan Slum". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved 2023-09-13.
  14. ↑ "Bloody gang violence raises alarm in Kenya". Reuters. 2007-06-08. Retrieved 2023-09-13.
  15. 1 2 Opala, Ken (2023-03-30). "Criminal gangs and elections in Kenya". ENACT Africa. Retrieved 2023-09-13.
  16. 1 2 3 4 "Armed and dangerous". The New Humanitarian. 2008-02-22. Retrieved 2023-09-06.
  17. ↑ "Kenya: Fresh Evidence of Election-Period Abuses". Human Rights Watch. 2018-02-25. Retrieved 2023-09-13.
  18. ↑ "Election leaves western Kenya angry and bitter". The New Humanitarian. 2017-10-26. Retrieved 2023-09-06.
  19. ↑ Opala, Ken (2023-04-24). "Muted violence in Kenya's 2022 elections masked seething dissent". ENACT Africa. Retrieved 2023-09-13.
  20. ↑ "Growing number of political gangs in Kenya spark election concerns". ISD. Retrieved 2023-09-13.
  21. 1 2 Ombati, Cyrus. "Ransom gangs hit Nairobi, says National Crime Research Centre report". The Standard. Retrieved 2023-09-13.
  22. ↑ Redaktionen (2006-11-08). "Bandekrig i Nairobi | Globalnyt". globalnyt.dk (in Danish). Retrieved 2023-09-13.
  23. ↑ Muindi, Kanyiva (2016-12-01). "Conflict and Crime in municipal solid waste management: evidence from Mombasa and Nairobi, Kenya Working Paper #13" (PDF). assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/. Retrieved 2023-09-06.
  24. ↑ "The city under siege? How criminal gangs have spread out in Nairobi as polls nears". Shahidi News. 2021-04-14. Retrieved 2023-09-06.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.