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Kenyan Police Officer Fights Youth Crime with Soccer
September 16, 2024
CategoryAfrica Central
Content TypePackage
LanguageEnglish
Transcript/Script((INTRO))
[[Kenyan police officer Stephen Ominde has his way of fighting crime. In 2020, he started the Mathare soccer team to keep young people off the streets and out of trouble. Four years on, the team is still going strong. Reporter Joel Masibo has more from Mathare, Nairobi, Kenya.]]
((NARRATOR))
Thirty-year-old Stephen Ominde has been in the police force for eight years, four of them in Mathare Valley, a crime-ridden informal settlement in the Kenyan capital Nairobi, with a population of about five hundred thousand.
((Stephen Ominde, Police Officer)) ((Male, in English))
“The youth here have difficult opportunities, so they’re easily drawn into crimes. I wanted to show them the different ways of getting opportunities, and I chose football because football has been my vehicle.”
((NARRATOR))
Despite a lack of more recent statistics, security personnel and residents like Austin Otieno say that Ominde’s soccer initiative, which kicked off four years ago, has impacted youth behavior, crime rates, and incidents of police violence.
((Austin Otieno, Mathare Resident)) ((Male, in English))
“We have seen a significant drop in crime and police confrontations. The community feels safe and more united.”
[[Radio track: Student Gilbert Ojuka says the initiative has made a difference.]]
((Gilbert Ojuka, Reformed Student)) ((Male, in Swahili))
“Now, I focus on my studies and dream of becoming a professional soccer player.”
((NARRATOR))
Because of the soccer program, at least 50 former juvenile delinquents are now contributing members of society. Parents like Irine Wakoli say they now have a purpose, and self-discipline, and understand the value of teamwork.
((Irine Wakoli, Parent)) ((Female, in Swahili))
“This program has changed our lives. My son is now a role model in our community. Before, I worried that one day I would lose him in a street fight or a confrontation with the police. All this has changed.”
((NARRATOR))
((Mandatory courtesy: acleddata.com))
ACLED, a non-profit organization tracking global conflict and protest data, found that between July and September 2023, there were 176 fatalities linked to political violence involving the police.
((End courtesy))
The bulk of these incidents occurred in Nairobi County, which saw a significant surge in anti-government protests during this period.
That’s where Ominde’s initiative comes in. Fellow police officers are also inspired to engage with young people through sports. In Kangemi, another informal settlement in Nairobi, officers like Johnstone Etale started a soccer team in his area of jurisdiction.
((Johnstone Etale, Police Officer)) ((Male, in English))
“The hostility between police and the youth caused a lot of tension in the community. Finding creative ways to deal with young people suffering difficult economic conditions is the only way to have peace in the community.”
[[Radio track: Ominde says the initiative serves a purpose in the community.]]
((Stephen Ominde, Police Officer)) ((Male, in English))
“For these boys, the soccer team is more than just a sport. It’s a lifeline, providing hope and shaping their future.”
((Joel Masibo, VOA news, Mathare, Nairobi, Kenya.))
NewsML Media TopicsArts, Culture, Entertainment and Media
