Villagers beat up 4 Nyamira probation officers, burn their car

South Nyanza Regional Probation Director Johnstone Koech checking on one of his four officers who were attacked while on duty in a village in Nyamira County on March 12, 2019. PHOTO | RUTH MBULA | NATION MEDIA

What you need to know:

  • Two of the officers, Mr Elijah Monda and Mr Moses Macharia, were are admitted at the Nyamira County Referral Hospital with serious injuries.

  • Two others, Ms Sophy Ichunge and Ms Divinah Isoe, were treated and discharged.

  • But villagers said the four probation officers failed to give their job cards raising suspicion they were out to obstruct justice.

Four probation officers are nursing injuries after they were attacked by a mob as they sought pre-bail report for three murder suspects at Omosasa village in West Mugirango, Nyamira County.

The mob torched a government vehicle the probation officers were using.

Two of the officers, Mr Elijah Monda and Mr Moses Macharia, were are admitted at the Nyamira County Referral Hospital with serious injuries.

Two others, Ms Sophy Ichunge and Ms Divinah Isoe, were treated and discharged.

MURDER CASE

Mr Monda, the Nyamira Sub County probation officer said they had been directed by Nyamira High Court judge Esther Maina to prepare a pre-bail report for three murder suspects in a case over the killing of a teacher two weeks ago.

"We were just about to be lynched when police officers rescued us," said Mr Monda.

The officers had visited the home of Mr Evans Ayana, the teacher who was allegedly killed by three government drivers.

The accused quarrel with the teacher after he hit after he hit their government-issued vehicle with his motorcycle.

'OBSTRUCT JUSTICE'

Some of the detectives who rescued the probation officers from the mob were also injured, albeit slightly.

They had to lob teargas canisters at the mob and fire in the air to disperse the mob that went on pelting them with stones.

Regional Probation Director Johnstone Koech condemned the attack and called on the police to track those who attacked his officers and arrest them.

"My officers had explained their mission. Why would they be attacked when on official duty? The criminals even went ahead to burn a government vehicle," said Mr Koech.

But villagers said the four probation officers failed to give their job cards raising suspicion they were out to obstruct justice.

“They wanted the family to sign some documents to have the three suspected murderers released. We cannot allow this…a court case cannot be resolved in someone’s home,” said one of the villagers.

“We cannot allow people to obstruct justice," added another villager.