Kisumu
  21/09/07
 
POLICE HAVE SUCCEEDED IN SMASHING "MUNGIKI" BUT HOW ABOUT "SUNGU SUNGU" IN KISII?

Commentary By Leo Odera Omolo.

The Kenya Police has succeeded temporarily in containing the menace posed by the activity of the outlawed Mungiki sect in Nairobi, Nakuru and in part of the Central Province. But how about wiping out Sungu Sungu in Kisii?

The police, however, have failed to stop the extra judicial killing of innocent people in the Gusii region of Nyanza Province by the dreaded "Sungu Sungu" outfit.

Police must also move with the snake speed to bring to an immediate end the crime waves in Gusii. Thugs having illegal guns in their possession should be hunted down and brought to book.

An incident which occurred two days ago in Omobondo village, Bobassi, Nyamache Division in which suspected gangsters gunned down two people among them a youthful secondary school teacher is just tip of an iceberg.

Although some mischievous people have pointed an accusing finger at the local police in Gucha district, our investigation revealed the police are innocent because the rapidly escalating insecurity is not confined to Nyamache Division alone. There are too many illegally acquired weapons in the hands of hardcore criminals in the entire Gusii region and the neighbouring districts of Bureti, Bomet, Rongo and Migori. Something must be done for urgent remedy.

These weapons are the one in use in commission of serious crimes such as the killing of the innocent peace leaving citizen in Gusiiland. The source of supplies of such weapons need to be thoroughly investigated and established as one way of restoring the confidence of the area citizens to the government of the day.

Gusii region has become so vulnerable place for night gangsters operations and the killing of innocent people has become almost daily occurrences. Road traversing the region has become no go area after dusk.

It is hard to see any motorist driving on the road in the Gusii region after 8 pm. This is because thugs have imposed illegal dusk to down curfew on the people. Even passenger vehicles such as matatus and country buses operators are now finding it difficult and risk business of ferrying passengers on the road after dark. Few who brave it have had their share of ambush and attack. At times the thugs stop passengers strip them naked and rob them of all the valuables.

Motorists driving between Keroka and Chemagel (Sotik) after dark have come under attack. The unlucky one have died under the hails of bullets.

It is, however, mischievous for any group to hatch a plot to revenge these killings on the police and administrators because acts of thuggery are now a nationwide phenomenon.

A week ago teachers in Gucha took to the street in a demonstration protesting at the escalating insecurity which has claimed the lives of more than 10 of their profession colleagues.

The demonstration sparked off a contradiction between the demonstration and the law reinforcement forces. It prompted the police to seek for reinforcement from Ogembo Division Police headquarters. The fracas ended up in the arrests of several union officials who had led the demonstration and thereafter the government has since beefed up heavy security presence at Nyamache Divisional headquarters.

As a matter of fact, the confrontation was uncalled for. It was borne out of suspicion and wrong assumption by certain teacher's union officials who had incited their members after falsely accusing the police for complicity in the escalation of thuggery in the area.

Instead of the union officials' action of calling for demonstration against the provincial administration and police should have sought for dialogue to find out how each group could supplement each others work in stamping out thuggery.

Although the KNUT local branch Secretary Mr. Nyariki had claimed that many teachers had died at the hands of armed gangsters while the government did little to protect them. This is not true. The police in Kenya and elsewhere are doing their best to protect citizens but they too are outnumbered.

But Mr. Nyariki abdicated from his responsibility of advising his teachers to stop the bad habit of drinking excessively during the month ends. Teachers are also to blame for spending most of their times in local pubs while displaying their financial strength within the local communities thereby exposing themselves to thugs and their agents who frequent bars in local market places.

Nyamache has been experiencing a series of armed robberies, which has left businessmen and teachers in fears. But these people deliberately boycotted a meeting called at the Divisional Headquarters by the Gucha DC Joseph Rotich purposely to cool tempers and seek solution for the escalating insecurity in the area. Nyamache is located in the Southern end of Gusii region. It lays along the Gucha Trans - Mara district boundaries in an area which is also prone to cattle rustling and tribal skirmishes between the Maasai and the Abagusii people..

The DO has denied that any involvement by the officers and opposed to the area resident to cool their tempers and allow the police to carry out investigations.

Similar attacks by night gangsters have in the recent past been experienced in Migori, Rongo, Masaba, Central Kisii and Nyamira.

Another secondary school teacher was reported to be fighting for his life at the Kipkatet sub-district hospital in Bureti after being attacked in his house at the St. Mathias Mulumba Secondary School. The gang had gained entry into his bedroom at about 3 am after smashing the door with heavy stone.

Most of the killings are done by the "Sungu Sungu" gangsters who have assumed the responsibility of community policing of the villages at night. The force is reported to be consisting of rogues and common criminals and the so-called self-styled police informers.

Ends.
leooderaomolo@yahoo.com