Mitigation of armed criminality through an African indigenous approach

Insecurity with the use of small arms has become a disturbing theme in Kenya increasing over the past two decades. Rural areas have seen escalating levels of armed inter-communal resource conflict, with rustling of large numbers of cattle and loss of lives. Official security forces may be weak in such areas, or may be corrupt, demanding bribes to provide their services. In such circumstances communities may resort to providing their own solutions, which have their merits and demerits. One such homegrown solution has come out of Kuria. The Sungusungu are indigenous police, attached to a traditional Iritongo or court owned and funded by the community, and later hesitantly supported by the modern public administration. Their efforts at managing armed criminality in the late 1990s were unexpectedly successful, bringing law and order and leading to a transformation in the district. This article considers their successes and also notes real and potential problems with this concept of indigenous policing, with regard to its wider application.