Top CID officers in talks over rising crime

By Cyrus Ombati and Munene Kamau

Top Criminal Investigation Department (CID) detectives met in Nairobi on Tuesday to discuss the spiraling rate of crime in the country and demanded more funds to be able to contain the situation.

The Provincial Criminal Investigation Officers (PCIOs) met with CID Director Ndegwa Muhoro and other formation commanders to review their performances during which they agreed on the need to increase intelligence funds as part of efforts to contain crime rate.

The meeting also discussed a number of senior officers who are supposed to be promoted from their current ranks.

Emerging criminal gangs like Mungiki and Mombasa Republican Council (MRC) dominated the talks at the CID headquarters housed in Mazingira Building.

“The officers were asking for more resources and especially money and other equipment to be able to address the rising rate of crime ahead of the General Election. There are fears the campaigns will get more complicated and violent because of some of these gangs,” said an insider who requested for anonymity.

Also in attendance was Nyanza’s Joseph Mugwanja, Central’s Henry Ondiek, Rift Valley’s Samuel Nyabengi, Joseph Maritim (Western) and Xavier Mbogo (Eastern).  Head of CID operations Francis Njiru was also present.

At the same time, all security agents in Kirinyaga County have been put on high alert following a bloody confrontation between boda boda operators and suspected Mungiki adherents on Monday night at Kiamutuira village.

The operators got wind that the chairman of the outlawed gang was in his house and daringly went for him. After overpowering him, he was then tied using a rope around his hands and forced to ride a motorbike towards Baricho Police Station, as other operators trailed from a distance.

But the suspect attacked the boda boda rider and knocked him off balance. The operator fell off the bike.

Due to his injuries, the operator was overpowered by the suspect who fled from the scene.

Suspect fled

When the other operators reached the scene, they were shocked that the suspect had gone missing and decided to search for him.

“But on looking for the suspect in vain, the operators got infuriated and removed his clothes and a gas cylinder, which they set on fire,” Kirinyaga Central OCPD Patrick Oduma said.

Mr Oduma said the unsuspecting operators sustained burns on their faces when the gas cylinder exploded and denied the victims were burnt after being hit with a petrol bomb.

Oduma said his officers had come across leaflets at Kaingoma and Kiangai markets warning the operators this morning of dire consequences.

Leaflets read in part, Tiga uguo mureukithia na biki biki, ithui ruciu tugoka na ngari nginyagia igotini ria Baricho na nimugatumenya (We don’t care about you even as you ride on bikes. Tomorrow (this morning), we will drive to Baricho law courts and you will know what we are made of).