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Raiders Torch Nyachae's Cars
- Details
- Published on Thursday, 05 July 2007 00:12
And almost simultaneously, another group of people dumped a dead goat at Mr. Nyachae's Sansora business premises within Kisii town. Nothing was stolen from either premises. Mr. Nyachae was in Nairobi at the time.
Africa 2007
The dead animal had its neck slit open but there was no blood seen at the scene. The watchman guarding the home, Mr. James Nyambane, said the thugs, after scaling the perimeter wall, rushed to where the two vehicles, a Mitsubishi Pajero, Registration Number KAC 153V, and a Toyota Corolla, Reg No KAL 316G, were parked and splashed them with petrol before setting fire to them and fleeing.
The raiders had roughed the guard up after he switched on the security alarm, he added.
Reacting to the incident, Mr. Nyachae described the attack as "strange and unusual".
"This is definitely not a normal robbery. As a family we are still trying to establish the motive behind it," said the Nyaribari Chache MP.
Mr. Nyachae declined further comment on the matter, saying he was still awaiting full information on the incidents. Preliminary reports indicate that the house's phones were disconnected shortly before the raid.
Mr. Nyachae was two years ago the victim of a suspicious road accident near Mau Summit on the Nakuru-Kericho road during which he sustained a broken arm. Last December, a group of people broke into his business premises in Nairobi's Industrial Area, tied up the watchmen and beat up the night staff.
Jeriah Maragia, Mr. Nyachae's daughter-in-law, who resides in the burgled premises, told the Nation that the attackers struck at around 4.30am. Two two loud explosions followed. Nobody, including the watchman, could say precisely whether the explosions were from the two vehicles' petrol tanks or gunfire. "The whole operation took less than five minutes as neighbours arrived soon after," she said.
Mr. Nyachae's second wife, Martha Mwango, who arrived at their town home soon after from their rural Nyosia home, said: "Property is not what is important but that my children are alive."
One of the children, Michael Moragia, described the attack as "purely political and organised by the same people who have been terrorising us for some time".
The attack comes barely a month after former Kisii Mayor Wilfred Monyenye, a close ally of Nyachae, had his Datsun 1200 pick-up burnt by unidentified people in Kisii town.
A number of Kisii leaders condemned the attack and called for immediate security measures to safeguard Mr. Nyachae and his family from marauding political thugs.
Former assistant minister Hezron Manduku described the raid as pure intimidation against Nyachae. "This is political malice and seems to have been highly organised to scare Nyachae and his supporters but it is a waste of time and energy."
Former Kisii Mayor James Gisemba urged President Moi to ensure Mr. Nyachae's safety, especially considering the former minister's sounding of the alarm that he was being targeted by certain political elements. He said Mr. Nyachae's enemies both at home and elsewhere were using all means to intimidate him politically.
Kisii SUPKEM official Juma Musa described yesterday's attack as politically motivated by a clique of people used by the system to scare "leaders who have proved to be a threat to their political survival".
"Political thuggery directed at Nyachae and his supporters will only help strengthen his political base and increase his chances of rising higher politically," the Muslim leader said.
