Writes Leo Odera Omolo In Awendo Town
Nine dwelling houses belonging to people suspected to be involved in series of criminal activities in Uriri were torched and burnt to ashes by the enraged villagers.
The angry villages had joined the administration police in manhunt for people suspected to be thieves who have been terrorizing the villagers.
The incident occurred at Rombe Village, Central Kanyamkago, Uriri district within Migori County. The area D.C. George Kiplagat confirmed the incident, but blamed the local for not willing to come forward and give evidence in courts whenever the criminal characters are nabbed and taken to court by the police.
The D.C. told the residents that the only sensible way of eliminating crimes in the area is for the people to volunteer to give evidence whenever the suspects are arraigned in courts. So far there is a lot of laxity by the residents in helping the government stamp out crimes in the area.
Of late reports emerging from Uriri district says there is outbreak of series of burglaries in the villages by organized gang of criminals who invade home of wealthy farmers and traders and robbing them money and other valuables and at the same time hurting them after subjecting the victim to beating in the attacks.
“It is up to the residents to co-operate with the administration so that criminal’s hideout could be traced and those arrested suspect arraigned in courts. Once they have appear in court the villagers who knew something related to their heinous activities should come forward and give evidence against them before the courts.
In the latest incident the villager mobilized and armed themselves with crude weapons, raided the dwelling homes of the people suspected to be engaged in criminal activities to flush them out. The villagers were accompanied by police who managed to arrest a number of suspect. One suspect who is said to have had a rifle and fired in the air to scare the villager pursuing him was also cornered disarmed and arrested.
The worse hit is Ong’ora Kamireri and Obuongo Otwagi areas in Kanyamkago North Rapogi Division. Also affected are villages with Rapogi Trading Center and its environs. The well coordinated attack by band of criminal has become the nightly routine and residents have lost property worth thousands of shilling in the raids by thugs who raided their homes at night.
The thugs are suspected to be residing in the small village known as Kakiremba near Awendo town while other come from Jiw Dendi slum in Awendo Town.And the administration sources say the night patrol by police lone cannot resolved the situation unless the public themselves take an active part in identifying the suspected criminals and also volunteer information to the police
These marauding bands of thugs have life difficult for the villagers. The residents have appealed to the government to lunch massive hunt for illegal firearm in both Mgori and Uriri district. Two weeks ago criminal thugs shot and killed a young entrepreneur known by the name of Jack who run a chin of public joints and a night club in Migori town. The incident sparked off public protest through the street demonstration, which saw Migori town sealed off and its major roads closed for the better part the day.
Ends