Image courtesy of Nairobi News

A report by the National Crime Research Centre (NCRC) has revealed that half of all Kenyans have been the victims of crime in the past 12 months.

It will perhaps come as no surprise that poverty (‘economic status’) is the major contributing factor to both criminal activities and the chances of being a victim of crime.

Types of crime

The NCRC report listed seven types of crime as being the most common:
• Burglary 28.5 percent
• General theft 26.6 percent
• Cattle theft 20.7 percent
• Theft from people 16.6 percent
• Theft from buildings 12.8 percent
• Robbery with violence 9.8 percent
• Theft of agricultural produce 4.3 percent

Women most vulnerable

The NCRC report also found that women are the most vulnerable targets for criminals with 77.4 percent falling victim of crime compared to men at 57.3 percent.

At least 36 percent of young people were attacked by criminals in the last 12 months according to the report, compared to crime against elderly people standing at 26.5 percent and children 20 percent.

Poverty a key factor

The study also found that economic status, at 78.5 percent, headed the list of factors that contributed to Kenyans being susceptible to crime.

Unemployment (again poverty) at 81 per cent, together with the availability of alcohol, illegal drugs and substance abuse at 69.9 percent, were the leading factors contributing to criminal activities.

Crimes not reported

The NCRC report revealed too that of all the victims of crime last year, only 63.6 percent reported a crime to the authorities.

The National Police Service, at 92.3 per cent, was found to be the most preferred institution for Kenyans to report crime, followed by the national government administrative offices (72.8), Nyumba Kumi and community elders (43.5), family (11.6), hospitals (5.6) and religious institutions (6 percent).

41.5 percent of victims said that corruption in law enforcement was the main reason for not making a report, followed by the problem of providing evidence and sufficient proof that a crime had been committed.