By Chak Rachar.

The recent crime waves within Kisumu where armed thugs have been robbing residents within the city at will have got to do with well known criminals who are having various criminals’ cases yet they are out on court bonds according to Kisumu District Criminal Investigations Officer Henry Ndombi.

This comes amid allegations of laxity and ineptness on the part of the police which has seen crime rising within the Lake side with unsubstantiated statistics showing that people are killed daily within the city and three social places usually being attacked daily.

The area residents are now said to be living in fear as most residential estates are ghost estates by as early as nine o’clock as the allege that criminals take charge within their residences as early as that hour.

Operators of social joints within the city are calling upon the police to help them have back their clients as they register low turn out of patrons as the said usually vacates the said premises as early as eight o’clock.

Former Kisumu Councilor and a leading businessman within the city Nahashon Okwaro is pleading with the law enforcers within the region to pull up their socks if investors have to come to Kisumu and invest.

“No one would wish to invest in an area where their investment’s securities is guaranteed, for Kisumu County to redeem itself then security which is paramount should be addressed by all and sundry” he added

He calls on the entire city’s residents to help law enforcers in dealing with the security issues.

Hotels and bar operators lament that very soon they will be closing down as there is no business at night when they should be making money.

“We have been incurring loses people fear sitting in bars for long as they do not know what is likely to happen next given that a day hardly passes before thugs strike and robs either an hotel or bar “says Dj Jack Ogolla who operates a bar within the town.

But the worst one in recent time is an incident in which the daring thugs struck at a two star hotel owned by Gem MP Jakoyo Midiwo which is situated along Kisumu –Kakamega road opposite Ofafa Hall and hardly two kilometers from Kisumu’s main Central Police station.

An eye witness who was among those who were attacked and robbed lamented at the laxed pace the thugs attacked tem and despite them raising an alarm no help came from security law enforcers.

“The thugs numbering about four held us hostage for nearly thirty minutes, two kept an eye on us while their two colleagues went into the rooms and started harassing people who were in those respective rooms, surely for thirty minutes the police couldn’t arrive” she lamented.

During the incident the thugs took away with them a pistol firearm from one of the patrons who is a licensed firearm holder which they police have vowed to recover from all cost as they claim the pistol might be used for wrong reasons.

The thugs had earlier attacked a bar opposite Dr.Robert Ouko estate where senior government officials stays before going to Raial; Odinga’s owned Royal Citry situated within he centre of the town where they ransacked rooms before robbing patrons who were in both the bar and the restaurant.

“I hardly wish the week to reach Wednesday, this is the time of the week when these thugs strike at will in almost ten places within two hours but we are doing the much we can” said a crimes investigations detective officer who is not authorized to speak to the press.

The issue has taken different views among the residents and law enforcers within the town who say that it might be a sabotage attempt on the part of the police officers who are out to frustrate their seniors whom they accuse of high handedness.

“Some junior police officers charged with stemming the said crimes are of the view that their seniors flex too much muscles on them which they claim really demoralizes them then again the operation wrangles between the general police and the Administration Police Officers” argues a police officer who is not authorized to speak to the press.

But Kisumu East District Commissioner Willy Cheboi has denied any security operations rivalry existence between the APs and the general Police.

“The mode of operation is clear among the two forces and there is no any rivalry which might culminate into them relaxing hence compromising security, lets give credit where it deserves” Cheboi added

Another group of police officers says that their morale is low as it seems that their seniors have put limitations in regard to their way of dealing with criminals.

“There are instances when there is a need to shoot dead some criminals but once we might be attempted to do that our seniors might sacrifice us, we need assurance that we will be protected and we will not take any chances with the criminals” said another officer.

His sentiments was also echoed by another senior officer who says that any killing of acriminal might land a police in problems with the Independent Oversight Police Authority which was created by an act of Parliament to provide for a civilian Oversight of the work of the police ;to promote policing oversight authority to provide for its functions and powers and for connected purposes.

“Are the offences against discipline for police officers still based on the old police act or the new constitution, we are not keen to shoot the criminals but we can if need be” one police officer added

According to the DCIO the trend is likely to change as his office in liaison with Kisumu courts have made mutual agreement which will see his office holding suspects longer than the stipulated twenty hour hours which is required by the law for the suspect to be charged in court.

“To be sincere, the agreement is only mutual and does not exist within any law, however we are ready to swear affidavits to the respective courts to admit that we have the accused within our custody as we continue with our investigations” Ndombi added.

He laments that it’s a fact well known within the security circles that the criminal gangs which ahs been terrorizing the area residents are moistly out on court bonds and some have warrant of arrests within various courts as they go ahead with their criminal acts.

He however defended his officers from allegations that most cases are usually dismissed by courts due to shoddy investigations saying they always do their best as investigators before they take anyone to court but the discretion of conviction or acquittal squarely lies with courts.

In spite of tells and tales from the police, Kisumu residents would wish to go on with their business unperturbed