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Kisii Residents Opt to Fight Crime Through Lynch Mobs
- Details
- Published on Monday, 16 July 2007 22:58
Two of them were shot dead by six gangsters in separate incidents at Botori and Kiong'ong'i on the outskirts of Kisii Town as they responded to distress calls.Five of the suspected gangsters were lynched in Kisii Town last week at two different places, while the sixth was shot dead by police officers on Wednesday as he allegedly tried to flee from their custody.
He had been arrested in Kisii Town and took the police to his home at Omogonchoro shopping centre in Nyamira District, where they found a home-made gun wrapped in a polythene bag at a thicket.
Residents are blaming the police and the courts for letting criminals walk free and some have taken the law into their hands, hence the lynchings.
One of the suspects killed by a mob at Kiong'anyo had been released on bond by a Kisii court after being charged with theft. The body of a man said to be his accomplice was found dumped at Nyakomisaro in the same area.
The two had gone to visit the families of two of their colleagues who had been beaten to death at Menyikwa as they planned a raid at Nyataro, four kilometres from Kisii Town.
The authorities admit there has been an upsurge in crime. Former Nyanza police boss Bakari Jambeni sent a crack unit, which has been credited with reducing crime in some areas.Local police declined to say how many people have been killed in criminal attacks this year, referring us to the provincial police boss. But unconfirmed reports say that at least 15 people have been killed since January.
Police are now appealing to the residents not to lynch suspects. They were dying with a lot of information that would lead to the arrest and prosecution of their accomplices and recovery of lethal weapons," said Kisii police chief Austin Kimantiria.
Speaking to the Nation in his office, Mr Kimantiria said: "We are asking residents to arrest suspects and call us or bring them to us. We also fear that some innocent residents may be lynched on suspicion of being criminals. That is why we are discouraging lynching."
He says that members of vigilante groups will be vetted and given certificates allowing them to operate.Community policing would be strengthened and the public encouraged to volunteer information that would lead to the arrest of criminals.Lynchings in Bonchari constituency by the dreaded vigilante groups known as Kisungusungu two years ago, reduced robberies.
And now Kisii residents have also vowed to use the same approach to eliminate crime."We shall be forced to resort to the lynching if the police and courts will not assist us," Mr Stephen Omurwa told Nation when he went to protest at Kisii police station.
It is believed many of the criminals have been driven to Kisii and other upcountry towns from Nairobi, where security has been tightened over the past couple of years.
The criminals mostly target supermarkets, wholesale distributors and affluent homes.
Among the victims of the recent crime wave is a chief who was shot as he entered his compound. He died while being treated at a private hospital. Another, councillor Peter Mogire of Kiogoro ward was also shot and injured when robbers raided his home last month.
Roads minister Simeon Nyachae, whose Nyaribari Chache constituency is worst hit, told a recent rally that he had directed the security team in Kisii to do an operation in the area to flush out criminals.
Said the minister: "Like me or hate me, the operation will be done and if your son is a criminal his days are numbered. We cannot sit down and watch innocent people being killed like this," said the minister. "We have launched a silent operation to eliminate criminals. So if you are one of them your days are numbered."
He said the Government would deal ruthlessly with criminals and blamed locals for not giving security personnel crucial information that would enable them arrest criminals. "They are amongst us and we know them, just sneak their names to the police who will investigate and take action."
District commissioner Abdilahi Leloon assured residents that Kisii was not a haven for criminals. "We want people to get down to their daily chores without worry as we do our part," adds Mr Leloon.
But lack of vehicles hindered patrols, he said, adding that he had requested the Government to provide more cars.
Mr Leloon ordered assistant chiefs to form location community policing committees of 50 youths vetted by elders to patrol their areas throughout the night. "They should not operate like vigilantes. Chiefs, their assistants and police will accompany them in their patrols," says the DC. He, too, warned against lynching suspects. "We don't encourage revenge on suspects because it is unlawful," he said.
Mr Leloon has also banned the game of pool and video games in the district, saying they encouraged crime. "We don't care whether they are licensed because we will not compromise on security. We have learnt that robbers idle at pool tables to plan their raids."
