Thugs storm Government offices, steal computers

Taita Taveta County Assembly Speaker Maganga Meshack Maghanga (front) and Governor John Mruttu leave the county assembly chambers in Wundanyi town yesterday after the governor addressed MCAs during a special sitting. [PHOTO- RENSON MNYAMWEZI/STANDARD]

 

Operations in several government departments in Wundanyi town have been crippled after a group of gangsters broke into four offices and stole computers and valuables worth Sh2.6 million.

County heads of department interviewed said they had lost sensitive information following the burglary that took place on Tuesday night.

They termed the crime situation as disastrous, scary and serious interruption of service delivery to the local community.

Residents and public servants raised concerns over the rising insecurity in the town that hosts the local county government headquarters.

Some 11 computers and vital documents were stolen. The offices broken into included that of the registrar of persons, births and deaths section and the ministries of Education and Livestock.

Reports showed the CCTV system in the Births and Deaths Registry did not capture the burglars, as it is broken down.

Taita sub-county education officer Samuel Nyantika, whose office was among those affected, said service delivery has been interfered with.

"How can we work in this kind of insecurity?" he posed.

He added: "We need security to be able to deliver services to the public. A series of robberies have been reported and we have not been receiving feedback from the police about their findings on the same."

night patrols

"We had earlier agreed with the police to intensify night patrols after my office and residence were broken into in January," he added.

County Registrar of Persons Jacob Mwakaba wants the Government to install more CCTV cameras in all Government offices in the wake of the rising crime.

The registration offices lost three computers with vital information.

At the Birth and Death offices, five computers and other valuables were stolen.

Meanwhile, an elderly man is fighting for his life in hospital after he was attacked and seriously injured by a marauding elephant.

Police said the 68-year-old was attacked by the stray jumbo while walking towards his Mgeno home from a nearby shopping centre in Mwatate sub-county on Monday evening.

The incident has caused a public outcry and condemnation, with residents accusing the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) of doing little to protect lives and property.

It is also comes at a time when the Government is still grappling with persistent human-wildlife conflict in the county.

A large population of wildlife is reported to have strayed out of the Tsavo National Park in search of pasture and water.

"Our constant pleas to have the stray jumbo driven back to the game park have landed on deaf ears. The elephant has been terrorising residents for days," complained a villager in Mgeno.

Mwatate OCPD Francis Mwangi said the victim suffered broken ribs and legs, including multiple head injuries.

"The old man was going home in the evening when he was attacked by the jumbo. We took him to the hospital where he is admitted," he said.