Mau Narok residents say police doing little to fight criminals

Residents of Mau Narok in Njoro, Nakuru County now want an overhaul of security officers in the area accusing them of ineptitude.

This comes after three people were attacked and seriously injured at the controversial Muthera farm.

The residents, who were Tuesday protesting over the frequent attacks, complained that the police have failed to contain the rampant criminal activities that have led to loss of lives and property in the area.

MORANS

Mr Peter Njoroge, who is the chairman of Nyumba Kumi in Tipis, accused the area security team of turning a blind eye on the crimes committed by the morans who have been terrorising the residents.

But Njoro Deputy County Commissioner Kenedy Lunalo defended the officers saying they were doing their best despite inadequate facilities.

Mr Lunalo said the vast area has been having a shortage of police officers and vehicles for patrols.

But he said he is working with his Narok North counterpart to ensure that security is beefed up in the area.

"We agreed to work with Maasai elders to help in tracing the perpetrators,” said Mr Lunalo.

ABSCONDING DUTIES

Mr Njoroge accused the area assistant sub-county commissioner and the Mau Narok OCPD of absconding their duties, leaving residents at the mercy of the criminal gangs.

Mr Njoroge noted the morans who come from the neighbouring villages in Narok North have been robbing and attacking the residents without being punished.

"They always waylay residents and demand for money and mobile phones. Those who don’t have the two are attacked and left unconscious", said Mr Njoroge.

NO MEETINGS

Another resident, Philip Mwangi, said efforts to engage the security agencies to curb crime have been futile after leaders dismissed or cancelled the meetings prematurely.

According to Mr Mwangi, trouble began in November 2018 when the morans arrived in the area.

They initially demanded for Sh50 from the residents before they later turned into an extortionist gang and cattle rustlers, he said.

He explained that a resident was attacked and killed at Mwisho wa Lami by unknown people three weeks ago but the suspects are yet to be arrested.

"After the attack we approached the administrator asking him to convene a peace meeting but he refused," said Mr Mwangi.

ATTACKERS REPULSED

In the Monday evening incident, the morans are said to have arrived at Gashembu village in Tipis at 6pm but were repulsed.

As they were fleeing, they found three men who were working at Muthera farm and started attacking them with clubs and pangas.

The two, who sustained panga injuries, were rushed to the Nakuru Level Five Hospital for treatment.

The morans later went to another village and stole three cows, residents said.

Locals said their efforts to alert the police were fruitless after the officers failed to respond.

PROTESTS

The incident sparked protests by the residents who were aggrieved by the inaction by the police.

The rowdy youths lit bonfires and barricaded the Njoro-Mau Narok road at Mau Narok trading centre for hours on Monday evening.

It took the intervention of officers from the Anti Stock Theft Unit deployed in the area to restore calm.

A bid by the Njoro security agencies to restore calm through a peace meeting at Tipis failed as the residents complained that the meeting failed to address key issues.

Njoro MP Charity Kathambi, who attended the meeting, urged the residents to maintain calm and called upon the police to speed up investigations and arrest the culprits.

The Monday evening attack came barely two weeks after a man was killed in Likia while tracking stolen sheep.

The residents have now raised concerns that the rampant crime may trigger ethnic tensions between the communities.