Residents of Nyakarianga village in Ol Jororok constituency of Nyandarua are up in arms against the local security agents for abetting crime even as calls to volunteer information intensified.
The residents who for several hours Friday morning barricaded the Ol Kalau- Nyahururu road causing a traffic snarl up decried the increased cases of elderly women reported raped and killed.
They cited the latest incident on Monday night when 54-year-old Mary Macharia was murdered a few meters from her home.
“The cruelty meted on Mary has left us in shock. Not even her little dignity was left as her attackers exposed her nakedness to the world,” lamented Mary Mutharia a resident of the village.
The residents decried a series of killings including that of a County officer in November, this year and a four-year-old who was raped and left for the dead, saying the attackers were still roaming the villages free.
“Shops are raided as early as 8pm. We are forced to close them early to be safe and leave them for broken into by armed men.
The culprits we have previously arrested and send for prosecution are released prematurely with some, not even going through prosecution.
We now live in fear as attackers are baying for our blood and have no respect for children and women,” complained Pierra Nderitu, aged 65.
The irate residents who vented out their woes before the area security committee at a Baraza that was called by the roadside at Nyakarianga shopping centre, accused the area police of being corrupt and only taking bribes from gambling dens.
“We have had challenges pursuing culprits as evidence is lost at the scenes when crowds gather to witness. We therefore call on you residents to give us information that will help us nail the culprits,” remarked Assistant County Commissioner Robert Ngetich.
The officer commanding Ol Jororok police station faulted witnesses who fail to turn up to testify hence compromising prosecution cases.
“We have recalled all public vehicles to help us in patrols this festivities but we cannot do all this if you don’t record statements and go to court and testify when culprits are arrested,” noted the police chief, Cyrus Njagi.
Area MP Michael Muchina, who was present to quell the protests, demanded that the Internal Security Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiangi takes full responsibility of the killings and a number of robberies that his officers had failed to stop.
“The National Government’s Constituency Development Fund will set aside resources to renovate houses near the proposed Randi police post so that officers can be deployed. Further resources will be channeled towards the putting up of the post as soon as Ol Jororok police station is complete and handed over for use,” added Muchina.
By Anne Sabuni
