Residents of Kuresoi South in Nakuru County held demonstrations over rising insecurity in the area.

The protest was ignited after a 12-year-old boy was sexually assaulted and killed on Saturday night at Seguton village.

His naked body was discovered by villagers near Seguton River on Sunday with his hands tied from behind and mouth gagged with a piece of cloth. There was blood oozing from his backside.

The angry residents took their protests to the road connecting Molo and Olenguruone; and barricaded it for hours -accusing the local police of laxity in their job.

They wondered why police were allowing criminals to roam the villages and shopping centres in the area at night yet there was a curfew in place.

County woman Mp Liza Chelule and Nyota ward representative Bernard Ngetich joined the protest, demanding that police must be held to account.

“What the people of Kuresoi South want to understand from the police and local administration is why are criminals allowed to operate during curfew hours?” Chelule posed.

She claimed there were rampant incidences of insecurity, which residents have cited and not a single suspect has been arrested in connection with those crimes.

Mr Ngetich claimed incidents of burglary, theft and assault were on rise in the area and attributed the crime to increased sale and consumption of alcohol and bhang.

Area Sub-county Commissioner Felix Watakila said police were investigating the killing of the boy and that those involved will be brought to book.

“We have launched investigations into the incident. We are following some leads,” he said.

The body of the boy was taken to Molo sub-county hospital mortuary.

Mr Watakila said a post-mortem will be carried out to establish what caused the boy’s death.