Fear grips Vihiga as wave of violent crimes exposes security gaps

Police officers in Vihiga County have launched investigations into violent crimes in the region.[File, Standard]

Cases of insecurity have risen sharply in Vihiga County, triggering fear and anxiety among residents following a series of violent crimes that have exposed serious security lapses across the region.

The situation prompted hundreds of residents in Luanda Constituency to stage a peaceful march, led by area MP Dick Maungu, to protest the wave of violent attacks.

The Monday protest sought to raise concern over the attacks that have claimed more than 20 lives, leaving behind a trail of blood, grief, and unresolved investigations.

Operations at Luanda Police Station were briefly paralysed after irate residents stormed the facility.

Residents raised alarm over what they described as runaway murders, accusing police of failing to conduct regular patrols and delaying investigations into a growing list of unresolved killings.

The charged residents thronged the station, where they sought an audience with Luanda Sub-County Police Commander Richard Siele.

Residents noted that victims are not only robbed of their lives but are sometimes shot in cold blood, while others are butchered with chilling brutality. In many cases, nothing is even taken from them.

“Many of the victims were small-scale traders and businesspeople attacked while returning home after long days of work,” noted Harun Ominde, one of the Luanda traders.

The residents presented a memorandum to security chiefs demanding swift action to stem the vice.

Residents said what is even more distressing is that some of the crimes occur within areas that are only a short distance from police stations, yet arrests are rarely made, and perpetrators are hardly ever brought to justice.

Over the past six months, more than 20 people have been killed in shootings, stabbings, and brutal assaults in different parts of the county.

In Luanda alone, Beverline Afwande was shot on her way home after closing her mobile money shop; businessman Philip Seka was killed outside his gate; and Shem Omoko, a boda boda rider, was fatally stabbed by the roadside.

Residents now demand increased and sustained security patrols across Luanda, particularly in known crime hotspots and along routes frequently used by traders and residents at night.

Residents also called for strengthened intelligence gathering and the revitalisation of community policing initiatives to dismantle criminal networks.

They further demanded a firm crackdown on the sale and distribution of illegal drugs and illicit alcohol, which they said continued to endanger young people and fuel crime.

Siele addressed the crowd during the protest, saying that efforts to improve security were already underway.

“Some of the culprits behind these attacks have been arrested and are now facing court proceedings,” he said.

He called on residents to cooperate with police and share any information that could help dismantle criminal networks.

“We cannot fight this menace alone,” Mr. Siele added. “The community’s support and timely information are key to making Luanda safe again.”

Another victim of the insecurity is the late Hannington Atolwa of Emwatsi Village, who was brutally attacked and killed in his home.

According to his son, Kennedy Ambugi, the attackers had previously attempted to kill their father.

“Our father was a humble man and had no enemies, but he had faced break-ins before. This time round, he was murdered,” Ambugi said.

In another recent incident in the county, a police officer guarding the Vihiga County Assembly was attacked, seriously injured, and had his firearm stolen in a daring night raid.

The February incident saw the officer attacked in the middle of the night while on duty at the county assembly premises.

Vihiga County Commissioner Peter Maina confirmed the incident, describing it as a grave security breach.

According to Maina, the officer was manning the assembly premises together with a colleague when unknown assailants struck. The two officers had split duties, with one patrolling the compound while the other guarded the gate.

The attack came just a day after two decomposing bodies were discovered dumped in a septic tank in Mbale town, behind a commercial building only a few metres from Mbale Police Station.

One of the bodies was identified as that of Humphrey Mbarang’a, a 43-year-old casual worker who had been missing since December 24, 2025.

In separate incidents a week earlier, a boda boda operator was found murdered in the Chavakali area, with his motorcycle stolen.

Similar cases have been reported across the country, where boda boda riders have increasingly become targets of violent criminal gangs.

Residents now fear that an organised criminal syndicate is behind the attacks, forcefully stealing motorcycles and killing riders in the process.

In the last six months alone, several boda boda riders and businesspeople have been killed under unclear circumstances, with their bodies dumped in different locations across the country.

Residents condemned the violence, terming it inhuman and unacceptable, while faulting police for what they described as slow and ineffective investigations.

Following the killings, another security meeting was convened in Emuhaya and led by Emuhaya Member of Parliament Omboko Milemba. Elders and residents expressed deep concern over rising insecurity, alleging that some locals were collaborating with criminals.

“Elders raised serious concerns over rising insecurity, worsened by the unfortunate reality that some residents are working with criminals to terrorise their own community,” said Ernest Ambio, a resident.