Security lapse in county as gangs spread terror

By MURIMI MWANGI and LYDIAH NYAWIRA

Marauding gangs have put Nyeri town under siege.

The town, once regarded as one of the safest places in the country, is slowly being taken over by criminal gangs terrorising the residents.

For the past two weeks, residents have been in a state of panic following increased break-ins and violent robberies.

The most affected estates are Ruring’u, Skuta, Kamakwa and recently Ring Road-a leafy suburb in the town.

On Tuesday, a gang broke into three residential houses at Skuta, during the day, cut through the window grills, and took off with electronics and other goods of unknown value.

A tenant in Skuta said he was surprised when he arrived home in the evening to find his house broken into. “They swept my house clean and broke into three other houses,” said the resident.

In a similar incident, it took the intervention of a local vigilante group to repulse a gang that had attacked a residential court. “When we started screaming for help, the gang escaped,” said a resident.

An officer at Central Police Station said more than ten cases were reported at the station in the past week. “I don’t have the exact number but it appears that there is an increase in muggings and burglaries. But we are very few in this station,” an officer told The Standard yesterday.

Various victims have accused police of laxity claiming that they have been arriving at the scene of crime nearly two hours after a robbery is reported.

A resident of Ruring’u estate said he was recently attacked at 7pm at his doorstep by a gang of three men armed with pangas and a toy gun.

Tactfully concealed

They robbed him of his laptop, two phones, a recorder and cash. “I did not report to the police. They take two hours to get here,” said the victim who did not want to be named.

Things are not any better in Nyeri town centre, where gangsters posing as bodaboda operators are roaming.

The motorbikes used for robbery, have their number plates tactfully concealed at night.

The resurgence in crime within the town comes barely a few weeks after the release of 117 inmates during the Judicial Service Week.

The Central Region Police Commander Larry Kieng, however, dismissed reports that crime was on the rise. Kieng said he held regular meetings with the business community; taxi and boda boda operators and they had not made any complaints on insecurity. “I have requested for more officers to be deployed in the town so that we can ensure visibility and response to the security situation,” Kieng said.