Determinants of Nyumba Kumi Community Policing Initiative on Maintenance of Law and Order in Migori County, Kenya
Abstract
Purpose: The study sought to determine the key factors influencing
the success or failure of the Nyumba Kumi initiative in maintaining
law and order within Suna West Sub-County, Migori County, Kenya.
More specifically, it set out to explore how community awareness,
collaboration with law enforcers, technology in use, and information
sharing influence the success of this community policing endeavor.
The study further points out difficulties inhibiting the success of this
initiative, such as frayed relations between the community and police
force, mistrust, and issues related to personal vendettas, which have
undermined the initiative's goal of reducing insecurity.
Methodology: This study utilized a descriptive cross-sectional
research type to investigate the extent to which selected associated
factors affected the implementation of the Nyumba Kumi initiative in
Suna West Sub-County. Local community members, Nyumba Kumi
leaders, and local administration officials were interviewed using
structured questionnaires. A total sample of 210 respondents was
represented from all key stakeholder groups using a stratified random
sampling technique. Statistical analyses were performed to
summarize variables of interest with the help of descriptive statistics
like means, and standard deviations (SD) using SPSS version 26. The
study also used inferential statistics (Pearson product-moment
correlation) to examine the relationships between variables. Findings
were tabulated and graphically displayed for trends and comparisons
between indicators.
Findings: The study achieved a high response rate, highlighting
strong positive relationships between the maintenance of law and
order and several key factors. Significant associations were found
with community awareness (r = 0.759, p < 0.001), collaboration with
law enforcement (r = 0.793, p < 0.001), technology use (r = 0.450, p
< 0.001), and information sharing (r = 0.673, p < 0.001), all of which
contributed to enhanced security in Suna West sub-county, Migori
County. These findings indicate that the Nyumba Kumi initiative
thrives on increased community awareness, effective collaboration
with security agencies, and the integration of technology. Despite
challenges such as strained relationships between community
members and law enforcement, the initiative has led to reduced crime
rates, quicker emergency response times, and more peaceful conflict
resolution in the area.
Unique Contribution to Theory, Practice and Policy: The study
reinforces key theories related to community policing. It supports
Collective Efficacy Theory by demonstrating how communities
contribute to law and order through informal support and social
control. It also bolsters Social Cohesion Theory, emphasizing the
significance of strong social bonds for effective community policing.
Furthermore, it validates social cognitive theory by illustrating how
observational learning and social interactions influence community
behavior in security initiatives. From a practical standpoint, the study
recommends enhancing community training, fostering collaboration
with law enforcement, integrating technologies such as mobile
applications and GIS, and improving information sharing. These
strategies serve as a practical framework for strengthening grassroots
security efforts and enhancing the effectiveness of community
policing within the Nyumba Kumi initiatives. Additionally, the study
offers valuable policy recommendations that advocate for supporting
community training, encouraging collaboration with law
enforcement, promoting technology use, and enhancing information
sharing. Implementing these policies would significantly improve
community policing outcomes by facilitating better cooperation
between communities and law enforcement agencies.
