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Dennis Lumiti

The country was taken aback several years ago when a man returned home one evening and sniffed lives out of nine members of his immediate family including his seven children and their expectant mother in Shinyalu constituency, Kakamega county.

Jamin Muchikha Mukhobelo was not violent by nature and, in fact, on the fateful day, he had been paid his dues for masonry work he had done at a local church, did shopping for his family at Shinyalu market, only to hack them to death later in the evening.

“Lack of anger management skills is a major concern in Shinyalu, Kakamega East sub-county.

Hardly a day passes without receiving reports of criminal cases ranging from murder to assault, rape, defilement and robbery with violence,” said the area Police Commander Robert Makau.

This is one constituency where chiefs and police officers work under constant fear. Some have lost their lives while others are nursing permanent scars.

Christopher Atenya, for instance, switched his job as a teacher to become the Assistant Chief of Shing’oto sub-location in Shibuye location. His Virhembe counterpart Aggrey Musinzi proceeded on leave and he became the acting assistant chief of the area.

One evening, Atenya was informed that a man was attacking his wife. He rushed to the scene, saved the woman but was also slashed on the head by the man leaving him unconscious.

Atenya recovered much later but could not work again as he was paralysed on one side of his body until today. He lost his job.

“It was a terrible night. I simply beseeched the man not to kill his wife but he turned the machete on me,” he says but has difficulty in expressing himself.

His successor Moses Muhanji is lucky to be alive but was sacked just a few months into his job “because he was too hard on the locals who then petitioned the government”.

Muhanji said yesterday that, although he was relieved of his duties, he felt much better “because I would be dead or wounded by now”. Atenya’s colleague meanwhile returned from his leave but lost his life.

The assistant chief was hacked to death in broad daylight as he headed back home from a public baraza. The assailant accused him of arresting his son over crime. The son had eventually been jailed.

Atenya and Musinzi’s boss, Shibuye Chief Vitalis Musoga, is meanwhile, out of job at this moment because of alleged involvement in bribery.

But Musoga had always feared for his life and even before he was interdicted and charged, he was always back to his home at Shianda by 7pm every day and claimed it was for his own safety.

But the youthful Reuben Musundi of Shiswa sub-location in Murhanda location was not too lucky as he was stabbed by an assailant while relaxing at his home one evening. The motive of the killing remains a mystery to date.

His successor George Imbukwa quit his job and settled for a Ward Administrator’s job in Kakamega county.

The current Murhanda chief Peter Liyengwa is counting his blessings but without one hand.

Dispute resolution

An assailant attacked the local administrator when he was then serving as assistant chief for Shisembe sub-location  in broad daylight and chopped off his hand before disappearing into thin air.

The attacker was reportedly unhappy with an earlier ruling delivered by the chief against him. The government recently rewarded Liyengwa with promotion after his boss Ladan Musikoye retired.The current Khayega Chief Gerald Murunga is also counting his blessings with a promotion but it did not come easy.

Murunga was picked up by a crack squad from Nairobi that was hunting for a resident of his then Shitochi sub-location who was filmed while hacking a young man at Khayega market over accusations of theft.

The then assistant chief was arrested for complacency after the clip went viral on social media. He was, however, released after investigations established that he was away in a seminar when the incident took place. He was then rewarded with a promotion when his boss Charles Mwayuli retired.

Shinyalu MP Justus Kizito yesterday urged the residents to try and manage their anger saying such incidents soiled the image of the constituency and Isukha sub-tribe.

“Such incidents are unfortunate and portray us negatively. Let us try and find ways of solving our disputes in a civilised manner,” said Kizito who has also been a victim after his car, a Range Rover “Vogue”, was set ablaze during the 2013 elections. He said he is lucky to be alive. Records at the Kakamega Law Courts indicate that more than 60 per cent of cases emanate from Shinyalu.

The situation forced the former Kakamega Resident Judge Said Chitembwe to hold several barazas in the constituency to beseech the locals to find alternative and peaceful ways of resolving their disputes.

Ironically, the then Isukha Central MCA Richard Muchesia who spearheaded the judge’s meetings, eventually shot the wife and turned the gun on himself a few years later. 

Fr Edward Mulama of the Catholic Church said the cases were disheartening and that locals need to be nourished by prayers and proper counselling.

“What we are witnessing is a population that has lost respect for the sanctity of life and well-being. We are doing the best as church leaders and we pray that this trend comes to an end,” said Fr. Mulama, who hails from Shinyalu but is currently in-charge of Holy Rosary Shiseso Catholic Church in the neighbouring Ikolomani which is largely peaceful and calm. The two were once one constituency.

The boy hit the paternal uncle, who is a teacher at Ihondolo Primary School in the constituency with a stone killing him.

Fr Mulama called for renewed guidance and counselling and spiritual nourishment to stem the vice.