Residents of Rongai sub-county have accused police of having a hand in the rise of crime rates in the area.
They said crime has been on the rise in Mangu, Rafikis, Lusaka, Kayanet and Chergei villages in the past two weeks.
They said gangsters use a Toyota probox with two different number plates to raid homes and businesses.
“It is worrying that instead of police officers boosting security, they are the ones colluding with criminals to raid our homes and steal our property,” Isaac Buret, a village elder in Kayanet, told The Standard.
“Livestock in our localities are stolen during the day, but they cannot be recovered because they are driven away using different routes.”
Wilson Songor, a small scale farmer in Kayanet is one of the latest victims. The 23-year-old's homestead was raided on Saturday night.
“I woke up on Sunday morning and found my sheep and goats missing from my paddock,” he told The Standard.
Mr Songor reported the incident at Menengai police station but was allegedly dismissed by officers who said Kayanet was out of their jurisdiction.
“It is heartbreaking that my livestock that I purchased using my little savings were stolen but the police and local administrators have remained reluctant to help me recover them,” he said.
On Saturday residents of Lusaka, an area that lies just a kilometre from Menengai police station, impounded the said probox after a local businessman raised alarm at 11pm.
Senior officers who were called to the scene said the vehicle belonged to Menengai police station and its occupants were on regular patrols.
Moses Karwenje, a resident, claimed the officers were hostile.
“We called each other after we heard one of the business premises being opened and when they realised they would be overpowered they shot in the air as they fled abandoning the vehicle," he said.
Residents now want all officers at the police station transferred to other areas.
Locals have formed WhatsApp groups in a bid to help elders and Nyumba Kumi initiative leaders fight crime.
Rongai sub county police commander Richard Rotich told The Standard that there had been complaints about a probox being used in criminal activities. He however did not confirm or deny reports that it belongs to Menengai police station
“We have numerous complaints of criminals using a probox to steal livestock, but nobody has reported to us if the crime is committed by our officers,” he said.
