Kerugoya Central Member of Parliament Gachoki Gitari on Wednesday, February 19, led angry residents of Kerugoya, Kirinyaga, in storming Kerugoya Police Station to demand an end to rising insecurity in the area.
The MP led his constituents in demanding better performance from law enforcement officers, whom they accused of laxity in handling crime-related cases.
Key among the issues raised by the lawmaker and the irate residents was the release of criminals from custody under unclear circumstances, which they claimed had significantly contributed to insecurity.
“A 13-year-old, in Grade Seven, was murdered in the Kithingo area by someone who is known, and the suspect is still at large over a month since it happened,” Gitari stated.
“We always hear of the long arm of the law. Has the arm of the law become shorter in Kirinyaga Central?” he added.
The residents, while joining their MP in the march, lamented about their experiences with criminals, urging the police to pull up their socks.
“We are suffering. I have been a victim of robberies, and the criminals who robbed me are still roaming the streets. I want the police to handle this immediately,” a resident complained.
However, the police managed to quell the angry residents, who, despite their frustrations, remained peaceful. Furthermore, the police introduced stringent measures to curb the spate of insecurity in the region.
Kirinyaga County Commander Andrew Naibei called for the closure of all activities by 11:00 pm in the region to enable the authorities to tackle crime.
The commander, however, requested residents to refrain from taking the law into their own hands and to allow for proper investigations into the cases.
The latest development comes just a month after thousands of angry residents stormed a police station in search of a murder suspect who had been detained at Chemase Police Station.
The furious residents, armed with crude weapons, stormed the station, leaving officers who were present at the time with injuries after they attempted to repel them. The irate mob went on to burn a police vehicle and loot property after overpowering the officers.
