Residents of the Bamako area in Dallas estate of Embu town are ruing the census period after thieves took advantage and broke into their compounds and stole their clothes and other items.
Some residents confessed to The Standard that they left their door open to facilitate the census officials' arrival. The officials did not turn up.
Opportunistic thieves, however, took advantage of the open gates and walked into the compounds, taking things unhindered.
Residents reportedly woke up to shocking and unexpected scenes, the clothes on the hanging lines and the shoes left outside missing, and even basins all carted away.
“By evening my clothes had not dried so I left them outside overnight. Someone took advantage of us having left the gates open for the census officials and stole the clothes,” Purity, a resident complained to The Standard reporter.
Being a Saturday, many of the residents had done their general cleaning, giving the thugs plenty to choose from.
The thefts have led to cries from residents that security should be boosted in the region, and that they would find it hard to open the door to any other person asking to be let in, even if it is the census officials.
They urged the government to consider running the census exercise during the day in light of the unfortunate incidents.
Embu County Commissioner Abdullahi Galgalo, however, reassured the residents of their security and that investigation was already underway to bring the culprits to book.
It remains to be seen if the residents will recover their lost possessions or their trust in the census exercise.
Embu Governor Martin Wambora, in an unrelated incident, asked the citizens of Embu to turn up and be counted.
He warned that those who kept the bars and entertainment joints open during the census period would face the full wrath of the law.
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