A family in Butere is mourning the brutal loss of two brothers, Thomas Abuonji and Fredrick Nangoye, who fell victim to a notorious gang terrorising the region.
The gruesome killings sparked outrage and fear among residents, as calls for justice grew louder.
Jane Auma, the wife of Thomas Abuonji, recounted the horrifying moment she discovered her husband's lifeless body.
Auma disclosed that the dreaded ‘Jeshi Jinga’ gang had sliced the head of her husband to almost four pieces, making him unrecognisable.
"When I saw my husband, I did not believe it. They had chopped up his head into almost four pieces. When you look at him, you wouldn't say you knew him. Those people took around five minutes to finish him," Auma narrated, her voice trembling with grief.
She further revealed that while still mourning her husband, she was informed that her brother-in-law Fredrick Nangoye also fell victim to the dreaded attack.
“I thought I was only mourning my husband only to be informed that my brother-in-law also fell victim to the gang,” she narrated.
The killings have sent shockwaves through the community, with many pointing fingers at local authorities for their perceived inaction.
Doreen Brenda, a human rights activist based in Bungoma, expressed her frustration with the police.
"As an activist, I cannot step into the Butere police station just because our OCS does not want to see me because I am following cases. We want a full transition of that station. They are threatening and intimidating us and chasing us away," she lamented, calling for a complete overhaul of the local police leadership.
The Butere police officers were accused of failing to protect residents from the escalating violence, with many feeling abandoned by those sworn to guard them.
Despite the tension, local authorities have pledged to take action.
Ibrahim Hassan, the Deputy County Commissioner (DCC) of Butere, urged the community to cooperate with law enforcement.
"We will engage one another, give us information that will help us," he said.
Kakamega Senator Boniface Khalwale also weighed in on the issue, calling for a united front in combating the criminals.
"I want us to do a joint operation because those criminals steal and kill in Butere and they escape to Mumias. When they do the same in Mumias, they flee to Butere. We need to flush them out," he declared.
Senator Khalwale further warned against leniency for the suspects already in custody.
"The ten who have been arrested, I do not want to hear that someone has released them on bond," he added.
In 2013, the gang was placed at the centre of the killing and injuring of over 100 residents of villages in Kakamega.
