Boda boda riders have been accused of killing suspected criminals, some who may have been innocent.
The riders waylay and lynch people they suspect to be part of a motorcycle theft syndicate in Luanda and Emuhaya sub-counties.
Reports indicate that a majority of the victims could have been innocent.
Emuhaya police boss Benson Muasa told journalists that boda boda riders have become main perpetrators of both petty and major crimes in the two sub-counties.
Police blamed
READ MORE
Tax stand-off as boda boda riders defy county call to pay
Two deny stealing property of ex-DCI boss Kinoti's son
Residents have blamed the police for taking a back seat as cases of people taking the law into their own hands rise in the area.
Property worth millions of shillings has also been reduced to ashes when the attackers vent their anger on suspects' property.
Investigations by The Standard showed that at least 15 have been killed by boda boda riders so far.
The cases are usually prevalent in November and December.
In Mwibona ward alone, more than six houses have been torched in what the riders called a crackdown on suspected criminals.
Police have cited riders operating in Ebwiranyi, Equity stage, Busia-Siaya junction, Ebusakami and Goodwill stages as the most notorious.
Efforts to get a comment from Andrew Mabwa, the boda boda chairman at Ebwiranyi stage, were futile after he refused to talk to the media on grounds that his colleagues had not given him the go ahead to comment.
Criminal activities
Boda boda riders at the stages cited turned hostile against The Standard team, accusing journalists of working with the police to malign them in connection to the killings.
Police suspect that remnants of the outlawed 42 brothers gang could be taking advantage of the situation to advance their criminal activities.
Most of the gang members are said to have reformed and joined the boda boda industry in the area.
According to Mr Muasa, at least ten incidents where suspects were killed are under police investigations.
“We are following crucial leads in the said cases and soon we shall have suspects arrested,” said Muasa
He said most of the murder incidents go unreported out of fear of retaliation in case of arrests of key suspects.
Muasa dismissed claims that police have allowed the riders to take the law into their own hands.
Andrew Odinga Tiang’a is the latest victim of the rogue boda boda riders. He was attacked and killed on Christmas eve.
According to his aunt, Beatrice Tiang’a, Tiang’a was accompanied by a friend, who is a boda boda rider, to a chang’aa drinking den. An argument ensued which turned into a fight between the two.
“The following day, their chairman visited saying he wanted to reconcile the two,” said Ms Tiang’a
It was then resolved that Tiang’a pays a fine of Sh1,800 to the friend to cater for hospital bill and another Sh10,000 to appease the boda boda group he belonged to.
Later, over 50 riders invaded Tiang’a’s home, tied a rope around his neck and dragged him to Ematete village where they set him alight.
“They beat him senseless and forced him to drink petrol siphoned from their motorbikes,” said his aunt.
Beatrice Tiang’a said her son sustained serious burns after the riders set him alight, and he died shortly after.
Rose Otenda, a resident of Ebusyubi Emmutsuru village, told The Standard team that her son was almost killed by boda boda riders when he went to demand Sh1,500 debt from one of them on December 20.
Ms Otenda said after a fight, the boda boda riders paid back the money but vowed to avenge.
Her son was attacked on the same day around 1pm by at least four boda boda riders at their home.
“My son overpowered them ans escaped death by a whisker,” she said.
She said the attackers destroyed property worth thousands of shillings before fleeing.
