Siaya leaders are up in arms with the local police, whom they accuse of failing to tackle rampant insecurity in the area.
Led by Siaya Governor James Orengo and Alego/Usonga Member of Parliament Samuel Atandi, the leaders are now rooting for the formation of vigilante groups to help weed out criminals who appear to have overwhelmed security agencies and are maiming and killing at will.
Speaking at the Hono Trading Centre in the North Alego location, where they attended a fund drive to aid families that lost their kinsmen to armed robbers recently, Orengo and Atandi said quick action was needed to protect the lives and property of the locals, hence the decision to have some youths who will work closely with the chiefs and their assistants to boost security.
Orengo lamented that police were always quick to respond to reports of petty crimes such as the availability of chang’aa, where they expect something in return, but were always slow to act whenever serious crimes such as robbery and murder were reported.
“When there are acts of murder and destruction of people’s property, nobody is arrested, there is no prosecution, and there are no police patrols,” said the governor.
He called on the Ministry of Interior and the top police hierarchy to wake up and restore security in both North Alego ward and the entire Siaya and the nation at large.
The Alego/Usonga MP lamented that three weeks after an incident in North Alego, where three people were killed and senior police officers and local leaders held a baraza where people were assured that security would be beefed up, nothing has happened and the thugs continue roaming the area.
The legislator called on the Inspector General of Police, Japheth Koome and the cabinet secretary for Interior and National Administration, Prof. Kithure Kindiki to personally intervene and help restore security in the area.
By Philip Onyango
