Robbers strike Catholic church as wave of crime rocks Siaya

A robbery at a Catholic church is the latest attack in a wave of crime that has rocked Alego Usonga sub-county.

Robbers on Friday night broke into the church and stole cellphones belonging to nuns, priests and some visitors from Uganda.

Residents of Siaya Township and Rabar in West Alego said they are now living in fear following constant raids.

According to  County Commissioner Michael ole Tialal, the incident happened around 8 pm.

“The two robbers managed to get away with cellphones from the convent and the priest’s house. They probably thought that the visitors who had come to church from Uganda had brought some money,” said Ole Tialal. 

Tialal said the priests and nuns were inside their houses when the incident happened.

“They had not closed the doors although they should have also informed us they had visitors so that we could offer security. The nuns were locked up in a room when the robbers embarked on their business and left in a motorbike,” he said. 

In another incident earlier last week, a businessman was shot in the thigh.

The commissioner explained that strange people accosted the businessman and his wife as they were just about to get in their home from work.

“They did not steal anything because the man struggled with them. He managed to take the pistol from them which he surrendered to us. In the process of struggle, he was shot in the thigh and is currently in hospital,” he added.

Just across in the neighbouring Siaya township, residents of Rabar also raised concerns over high insecurity cases.

They said two families had buried their kin last month after they were attacked and killed by unknown people.

They said more than five people had lost their lives to unknown people since January 2019.

Zedekiah Adika, a resident of Rabar, said that three other families had experienced violence attack from unknown people during their funeral activities at night last month leaving several people with injuries.

“A man was injured in Kalkada village and is currently recovering from machete wounds. A woman was attacked last month while a 17-year-old boy was attacked at night and left with machete injuries,” revealed Adika.

He said their ward had also suffered cattle theft which is yet to be addressed despite making reports to the police.

Another resident, a pastor, Tom Ohawo, said that their growing market centre in Rabar that serves two sub-locations has no security. 

Pastor Ohawo said the market center has no security lights and all the streets leading to homes in the villages were in darkness.

Another resident, Don Odhiambo, asked the Ministry of Interior to put up a police post near the market.