By Special Correspondent
Members of the Asian business community are living in fear that they are being targeted by gun toting criminal gangs which has been terrorizing them.
The lakeside city which hitherto has been the haven of peace and security has of late been experiencing the alarming upsurge of crime waves which includes armed robberies, thugging and other petty crimes like pick pocketing.
A young Asian who recently graduated with a degree from one of the public universities was shot dead inside his parents shop down town. His killers have yet to be apprehended.
Ramal Kotak was just about to close his parents shop which is located in Accra street when two men, one of them armed with a pistol, walked in while pretending to be customers. They accused him, demanding money. He resisted. One of them opened fire and shot him at close range killing him instantly. The men ransacked the shop and took all the day’s collection, an unspecified amount of money, and walked away.
The killing of the young Kotak sparked off the day long boycott by the Indian dukawaka. The ships in the Central Business District remained closed for the whole of last Tuesday making Kisumu working like a shock town. The Asian merchants were protesting against insecurity which they claim has reached an alarming proportion.
A month ago an elderly European volunteer had his home in the posh Milimani Estate raided by a gang of armed men who strangled him to death.
In Kibuye area criminal thugs raided Midway Hotel, which is owned by Gem MP Jakoyo Midiwo and robbed revellere money, mobile phones and valuables. One of the customers had a licensed gun .
In the same Kibuye area, a prominent surgeon, Mr. Opande, was shot and killed when a gang of criminals raided Wayside Bar. His killers are still at large.
In the same area a prominent businessman cum-politician Shem Onyango “Kwega” was way laid as he drove to the bank to deposit weekend collection at his kondele based fuel station. His wife who was with him in the vehicle sustained gun shot injury in her arm, but she survived and was hospitalized.
The thugs escaped in a stolen car with more than Kshs one million, which the deceased was taking to the bank at the time of the incident, which his believed to have been the day collection at his fuel station business. N all these nobody has been convicted to the for this serious crime offence
The town is full of thugs and petty offences such as mugging, pick pocketing sre the order of the day. At the Kisumu main bus terminal it is being estimate that close to 200 thieves are operating there targeting unsuspecting travelers who they rob with complete impunity..
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