KENYA: Residents are a worried lot following a series of armed robberies coupled with rape that is now linked to a gang christened 40 brothers.
The gang has caused chills among residents who are for a second time planning to hold a peaceful demonstration today dubbed ‘operation occupy Prosperity house’ over rising insecurity in the lakeside city.
“We will be demonstrating again to pile pressure on Governor Jack Ranguma who has failed in fulfilling his part of the bargain, which involves constituting of the county policing oversight authority,” said Hesbone Omollo.
During the last protest, Mr Omollo presented their petition to the governor.
The 40 brothers are said to operate in groups of 10 and above and act with impunity. They are said to be operating with no fear as they leave the scene of attack with ease and on foot.
The said gang uses machetes and guns. Their attack is not complete without raping the victims in the event that the victim is female.
Some sources have also attributed the recent attacks to inmates who have been freed from area prisons such as Kisumu Main Prison, Kodiaga and Kibos.
BLOODTHIRSTY GANG
“A group of fresh Kodiaga inmates have regrouped and are behind the recent attacks on innocent residents of Kisumu,” a source told The Standard.
The source said the bloodthirsty gang has wreaked havoc for the last six months.
This has, however, been refuted by Officer In Charge of Kodiaga Prison, Aggrey Onyango who said there should be tangible facts linking the former inmates to the crimes committed.
He indicated that if suspected gang members are arrested, the public must be able to state which prison they were released from and what sentences they were serving.
Mr Onyango said they have little control over what happens after a prisoner is released but indicated that there is always after-care undertaken by the probation department.
“The allegation might be true since we cannot say that inmates may not slip back to their bad ways once they are released,” he said, adding that change cannot be forced but comes from within an individual.
He observed that inmates who have been freed usually suffer from neglect from the closest people around them such as family and friends who keep off them.
This he said makes many of them to slip back to their previous ways.
The attacks by the 40 brothers mirrors the dreaded Gaza gang in Nairobi’s Kayole estate.
On August 14, a gang broke into a home in Nyamasaria near Kasawino market and while robbing the family, sexually molested two boys aged between eight and 10 years and two teenage girls who were taken to Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Teaching and Referral Hospital.
On same night, a man was killed at a carwash in Migosi estate behind the police post, while a tout sustained deep panga cuts as he went to collect the matatu he operates.
On the night of September 3, eight armed gangsters broke into a man’s house in Kopepo, Mamboleo and terrorised a family of four from 8pm to 3am, before making away with cash, mobile phones and ATM cards.
To add salt to injury, the man’s daughters (in their early 20s) were allegedly gang raped repeatedly for the six hours the thugs were holding the parents hostage.
The survivors and their families were attended to at the gender violence recovery centre at the Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Teaching and Referral Hospital on September 4.
A week later a six-man, armed gang roamed freely at Corner Maji, Manyatta and assaulted people who had just left video shows where they were watching a football match.
They also raided a house and when the owner tried to defend himself with a panga they shot him four times and repeatedly raped his wife.
And Last Thursday in Obwolo, Mamboleo, another group of three raided a home and raped two girls.
The same night saw police undertake raids in Manyatta estate after a police officer was attacked and robbed of his uniform and gun.
