Crime causes and victimization in nairobi city slums

This paper compares the types and causes of crime between the four slum areas in the City of Nairobi, and also crime victimization within different demographic characteristics of Nairobi’s slum residents. The study was conducted in four major slum areas in the city of Nairobi, namely Kibera, Mukuru, Mathare and Korogocho. The target population for this study was all adults (those aged 18+) living in the four major slums of the City of Nairobi. Secondary data sources from the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS), formerly known as Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS), were availed for sampling purposes. A total of 660 respondents were sampled. The Statistical package for Social Science (SPSS) version 12.0 was used for data analysis and presented in descriptive statistics. The study found that most common crimes in the slum areas constituted those that attracted short to medium term punitive measures, according to the law, and over four in ten slum dwellers claimed that they had been victims of crime the previous year. The most effective method of curbing crime was undoubtedly police patrols and community policing initiatives.