Machakos residents protest after gang kills five guards

Residents of the usually quiet and sleepy town of Mitaboni in Kathiani constituency on Thursday fought running battles with the police after five watchmen were killed.

The residents pelted police with stones in protest at the killings that have sent shock waves across the small town.

The demonstrators also pulled down a signpost with a picture of Machakos Governor Alfred Mutua.

Police fired several shots in the air to disperse the demonstrating residents who had started fires on the Kenol-Mitaboni road.

At the scene of one of the killings, dried blood where the guard had been bludgeoned to death could still be seen.

Mr Musyoka Muli, a watchman who survived the attack, told Daily Nation he ran away on sensing danger.

“I saw a group of about 10 approaching and ran to the chief’s camp where I alerted police officers who live there but they did not come out,” said Mr Muli, who lost two close colleagues.

The attack took place around 2am, according to Mr Muli.

Those killed were Mr Raphael Muli, Mr Daniel Kitai, Mr Munyao Kakovu, Mr Makenzi Muindi and Mr Ndolonga Kimeu.

About 500 metres from the shopping centre, Mrs Tabitha Nzula, the wife of Mr Muindi, huddled with a group of women speaking in hushed tones.

“My husband used to work in Nairobi before he retired and took up the job of a watchman,” she said.

She said Mr Muindi 70, had worked at the hardware shop he was guarding for one year.

She was she was alerted about his death by her daughter-in-law Jane Nzuki at around 2am.

LOADING BODIES

She said she went to the market with a group of relatives where they found the police loading the bodies into a vehicle.

Two patients who survived the attack were denied care at two hospitals, a relative of one of them said on Thursday.

Mr Simon Mutua, a son of Mr Joseph Kilonzo, recounted how his father and his four colleagues were ambushed at 2am.

“After learning of the attack, I and a neighbour rushed there and found the bodies of two watchmen,” he told Nation at Makueni County Referral Hospital.

An ambulance arrived and the nurse on board administered first aid to the injured patients before it drove towards Kathiani Hospital with the patients and Mr Mutua.

“On our way, Raphael Muli died and we left his body at Kathiani Hospital mortuary before proceeding to Machakos Referral Hospital,” he said.

“At the Machakos Referral Hospital, the driver was denied entry and we drove to Shalom Hospital where the staff refused to attend to us, saying they were not sure of the seriousness of the injuries,” said Mr Mutua.

“The ambulance then drove to Makueni County Referral Hospital in Wote Town but midway, at Mukuyuni Market, another watchmen succumbed to the deep cuts he had sustained,” Mr Mutua said.

He said his father was finally admitted at Makueni County Referral Hospital.

According to Mr Mutua, the guards had identified their attackers “and that is why the assailants were determined to kill them on the spot.”

“We were ambushed by a machete wielding gang at night,” Mr Kilonzo, who was in great pain, told Nation in his hospital bed. He had deep wounds on his head but doctors said he was in a stable condition.

Makueni Health Executive Andrew Mulwa said the referral hospital has been receiving an influx of patients from neighbouring Machakos.