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Gangs take over ‘power’ in Kisii

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Published on Friday, 05 February 2010 02:50

He has never set foot in his workstation for the last seven years. However, for all that time, he has been on the Government’s payroll and wherever he is, he is legally recognised as the assistant chief for Bomwancha Sub-location, Kisii South District.

Though a member of the provincial administration, a vigilante group operating in Kisii region has banished assistant chief John Chore from ever setting his foot in the area. But he is not the only victim of the Sungu Sungu gang, which has rendered the provincial administration and at times the police impotent.

Relatives of a slain man mourn as bewildered public mill around the body in Nyanchwa, Kisii recently. Three people were killed by Sungu sungu gang.

In some areas, the role of the provincial administrators has been usurped by the gang.
In other areas chiefs are only safe if they don’t question the activities of the gang, which security operatives regard its role as that of ‘community policing’.
It is for this reason that the whereabouts of assistant chief John Chore are unknown even to his boss, Mohammud Mohammed, the District Commissioner.

Chore and his family left home after he was implicated in the murder of Chief Ombasa Ombeta of Bomorenda Location and Assistant Chief Ouru Barini of Bokeire Sub-Location in 2002.
However, even after the courts cleared him and others of the murders, residents would not accept them back.
Angry villagers stormed his home baying for his blood, but he escaped with his family.
They torched his home and his properties at Suneka town and banned him from ever returning. His home remains deserted to date.
At one time, he sent emissaries seeking to be allowed back but the request was turned down.
Since then, residents of Bomwancha have been relying on chiefs from neighbouring locations.
Nyang’iti Ward councillor Grace Makario is bitter that the
Government has all that time denied her electorate a service they deserve.

"What many are asking is who is safe if a Chief, who is a security official, can be outlawed from performing his duties," she wondered.
However, Kisii community policing chairman, Mr Charles Mitika Maragia claims that the two administrators were killed because of their opposition to a terror gang that had caused the residents’ sleepless nights.

Others implicated in the murders, including civil servants have fled their homes for fear of elimination. "Since they left on their own, security is good here," Maragia added.
He said before community policing was constituted, Suneka was a crime zone but the group has since reduced the level of crime because of working closely with the police.
The DC says they are in process of replacing the besieged
administrator.

"We had given the administrator enough time but he has failed to resume duty," Mohammed said.
He explained that Government’s hands were tied because the community he was supposed to serve had rejected him despite being absolved by the court.
"It has taken us long to get a replacement because it was difficult to sack the Chief who was innocent," the DC said.
He, however, said it was also difficult for the Government to provide security for its employees.

"It is not possible to guard the Chief for 24 hours a day," he said.
The DC agreed with Makario that the inhabitants have suffered for long because they were unable to receive vital services.
At one time the residents held a demonstration to put pressure on the Government to appoint another subchief.
Maragia says the community had forgotten about the Chief, but if he came back, it would open old wounds.
"It is the community that does not want him back. Nobody is bothered about his whereabouts as long as he keeps off the area," he said.
Kisii OCPD, Mr Peter Njenga says no individual or group has authority to bar one from his home.
Njenga was reluctant to comment on the Chief’s saga. He said any person cleared by the courts of any crime are free to conduct their business.

"If courts have found a suspect not guilty, then who are you to believe they are criminals," he posed. He explained that members of community policing only assisted police with information on crime but can’t carry the law into their own hands.

Eastern Nyanza Regional Commissioner Lydia Muriuki (centre) when she addressed boda boda riders at Keumbu market. With her is Nyaribari Chache MP, Dr Robert Monda (Right) and Kisii DC Ben Njoroge.

Local DCIO, Mr Issa Mohammed says the Government had no business retaining police on its payroll if they can’t protect the citizens"When I took over, I ordered the police not to abdicate their roles to individuals after establishing that residents were living at the mercy of some gang," he said in an earlier interview with CCI.
Issa said the situation had improved greatly.

"The vigilantes word was law. They had gone as far as presiding over domestic and land disputes," he said.
Issa said the besieged chiefs or other individuals never reported to police seeking for help.
A Kisii based lawyer, Mr Cyrus Minda says vigilante groups were a noble idea but they have turned into criminal activities.
"After containing insecurity, such groups tend to be idle and that is where the problem lies," he said.
Minda said the vigilante had condemned the Chief in the public court and wondered why the Government had taken long to replace him.
The Government, he said, was relying on a law where one is presumed dead if he can’t be traced for seven years. But the DC said the chief was being retired on public interest.