Ol Kalou village turned into a criminals’ paradise

Barely a week passes by without a crime or two being reported in Munyeki village since December last year.

This village, located about 3km from Ol Kalou Town, has seen it all: burglaries, muggings, livestock theft, abduction and vandalism.

The village’s terrain has made it an easy prey for criminals. It is tucked in a hilly area with deep forest cover and has two roads that connect to two major roads, the Ol Kalou-Nakuru and Gilgil-Ol Kalou highways.

The crimes have dearly cost the local villagers, who have borne the brunt of the injustice.

VICTIM

Nation visited one of the victims, Mr Mukiru Ndegwa, who is still recovering after a vicious attack on December 30 last year left him partially paralysed.

“The only thing I recall is that they descended on me and the next thing I know is that I found myself in a hospital bed,” said Mr Ndegwa.

Mr Ndegwa’s brother, Simon Mwangi, told Nation that his brother was attacked, robbed and left for the dead by the attackers who waylaid him a short distance from home.

After the attack, Mr Ndegwa was found in blood-soaked clothes the following morning after spending in the cold and without help.

His family rushed him to JM Memorial Hospital but he was later referred to the Nakuru War Memorial Hospital.

“He sustained serious injuries on the right and left sides of the head and also on his back. He developed a memory lapse, but he is slowly recovering,” said Mr Mwangi.

Mr Ndegwa spent one-and-half months at the Nakuru War Memorial Hospital where he accrued a medical bill of more than Sh2 million, and his family has to pay an extra Sh40, 000 monthly for physiotherapy.

ROBBERIES

Last Sunday, heavily armed robbers raided the home of a businessman, Mr Njogu Macharia, about 200m from Mr Ndegwa’s residence, and terrorised his family for nearly three hours.

The thugs stole two laptops, mobile phones and an unknown amount of money before abducting his daughter, a 21-year-old university student, who they later abandoned about 4km away.

During the incident, one of the gangsters remained outside the house and was shooting indiscriminately to scare the neighbours. Eleven spent cartridges from an AK-47 riffle were recovered from the compound.

On the same night, an electricity transformer was vandalised about 200m from Mr Njogu’s home.

Again, on Friday night three dairy cows belonging to Mr Fredrick Ndung’u valued at Sh200, 000 were stolen and slaughtered in a nearby bush, about 100m from Mr Njogu’s compound.

NYUMBA KUMI

A village elder, Mr John Njaramba, attributes the high crime rate to the failure of community policing and proximity to Ol Kalou Town.

“The community has not embraced the Nyumba Kumi Initiative and community policing like in other areas. This is due to fact that most residents are newcomers who have bought land and settled. Lack of a police post is also a motivating factor,” said Mr Njaramba.

Area Assistant Chief, Mr David Kimani, said the terrain makes the village a paradise for criminals since they can escape easily.

“The area has heavy forest cover and a landscape that makes it easy for the criminals to escape. We suspect most of the crimes are committed by outsiders, but we also know they have scouts and contact persons from within,” said the administrator.

Mr Kimani also said lack of a police post in the area has contributed to the high crime rate, with the nearest police station in Ol Kalou Town, which is 3km away.

“Given the landscape and the distance, the criminals are aware that they can commit any crime and have enough time to escape. They are able to spot a car from a distance. We have always advocated for a police post in the area,” said Mr Kimani.

To tame the crime wave, Mr Kimani said the security agents are conducting public forums to sensitize the community on crime issues, and activate the lapsed community policing as they push to have a police post established in the area.  

DUMPING SITE 

Criminals also use the area for dumping stolen and vandalised vehicles.
In February, a car belonging to Mr James Gacheru was stolen from his compound in Ol Kalou Town vandalized and later dumped in a bush in Munyeki village.

Within the same period, four donkeys belonging to Mr Joseph Kimani were stolen and slaughtered at a local quarry, and two more donkey carcass were a few days later recovered in the same area.

Ms Rachael Ndung’u, a resident, appealed for intensified police patrols, adding that investors are shunning the area while locals are either moving to reside in Ol Kalou Town or selling their farms at throwaway prices.

The residents have already donated land for construction of a chief’s camp and police post.

Area OCPD Wilson Kosgei has promise to increase police patrols and admitted the area needs a police post.

“We are reactivate community policing in the area. The biggest challenge is that residents at Munyeki do not volunteer information to us, even the victims themselves,” said the OCPD.