Rising incidents of insecurity in Vihiga County have raised eyebrows among county officials and residents prompting them to take their security in their own hands.
On Friday, February 21, Sabatia Deputy County Commissioner Abednego Muli shocked residents when he carried an assortment of crude weapons to a public meeting and demonstrated how to use them in self-defense.
This happened in a meeting that had been organized to install a new chief in Hamuyundi.
The County official revealed a panga, an improvised shield made from worn-out tires and stones in an event that shocked the residents. The commissioner demonstrated how each one of the tools could be used to safeguard and protect lives.
He went ahead to state that everyone should be having these tools for safety reasons urging them to ensure that they were safe at all times.
The commissioner also added that having the door closed is not enough, all the residents would need to cover the doors with other barriers to give bandits a hard time to access one's family.
"Have all these weapons in your houses from today, during the night, place barriers such as a sofa against the door to prevent robbers from gaining fast access to your house after breaking the door," the deputy county commissioner added.
Recent crime incidents have been a thorn in the borne adding that they would help in ending crime in the county.
"We have had cases of insecurity. The problem is people here are too afraid, hence neighbours don't respond to distress calls," he explained.
Criminal gangs have wiped away entire families sending shivers across the County something that prompted the Interior CS Fred Matiang'i to visit the county and discussed security matters with senior officials.
Other senior security officers said they had a list of seven youths who were members of the gang and asked them to surrender.
