Notorious gang on the prowl in North Rift region

Wycliff Kipsang and Zadock Angira @wsang08

Once a safe haven, the North Rift region is turning out to be one of the deadliest places to live in the country following a surge in crime in the region.

When darkness falls, residents live in fear of a marauding gang which usually strikes at night, terrorising residents and stealing their valuables even in broad daylight.

The residents have accused security officers in the area of laxity.

“We live in fear of being attacked. Our security arms are silent on our cries,” said Ben Kipkosgei, a resident of West Indies estate.

Security agencies believe a 15-member armed gang, whose five members have so far been shot dead while three have been charged in court following an intense two months’ security operation, is involved in the attacks.

Police are looking for four of the suspects, including one identified as Bedan Amalemba, who is said to be hiding in Nairobi in connection with a series of robberies especially in Eldoret and the neighbouring towns.

A former convict who was shot dead during a botched robbery, his wife, his sister-in-law and the husband are some of the members of the gang that police believe  acquire ammunition from Uganda.

A former Kayole Gaza member in Nairobi, who relocated to Eldoret after his accomplices were shot dead, is among those gunned down during the­ operation on April 11.

Police say Amalemba and his three accomplices, only identified as Ali, Kim and Mnandi are the remaining gang members yet to be arrested.

During the period, the gang committed dozens of robberies and shot dead one person while another woman who shot and seriously injured. Most of the robberies took place between early March and April 26 and in almost all cases, an AK47 rifle was used. 

Following the surge, a special team of Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) detectives was formed to deal with the cases. The probe involved scene-of-crime visit and interviewing victims and witnesses.

It was the shooting of Benjamin Kiptanui Chumba, an ex-robbery convict, that led to the identification of other gang members.

North Rift residents who spoke to People Dailythreatened to take the matter into their own hands and lynch any suspected thug if their plight is not addressed urgently.

Irate members of the public recently lynched a suspected thief who was using a motorcycle to terrorise residents on  Eldoret –Iten road.

The issues raised by residents are evident in courts since on daily basis cases of house breaking, burglary, robbery with violence dominate cause lists in Eldoret courts.

Uasin Gishu Gishu County  police commander Ayub Gitonga has declared war on criminals wreaking havoc in the region.

“We’ve received complaints of some few elements terrorising the people but they should know that their days are numbered. We will soon arrest all of them,” warned the police boss. 

Eldoret and Nakuru towns recorded the highest number of reported murder cases in the country in 2018, according to a 2019 economic survey. 

The report by the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS), revealed that the number of murder cases recorded nationally increased from 956 in 2017 to 1065 in 2018.

The last time the number of reported murder cases hit the 1000 mark was in 2014.

Eldoret town led with 90 cases, Nakuru recorded 88 cases, while Meru and Nairobi recorded 79 and 66 cases respectively.

According to the report, the number of persons reported to the police for having committed a crime increased by 5.1 per cent to 75,037 in 2018, with Kiambu and Nairobi county stations recording the highest numbers.