Elected leaders from Kisii County held talks with Interior Cabinet Secretary (CS) Prof Kithure Kindiki in a bid to put to an end a wave of murders and other form of crimes that have hit the region in the last one month.
There are also calls from religious, community leaders and elders on the need for prayers to ‘cleanse the land.’
The Abagusii Council of Elders Secretary Samuel Bosire says the gory occurrences in Kisii and Nyamira counties are likely to bring a curse to the region.
“We need thorough soul searching as a community. Children have turned against their parents and vice versa. There is no respect amongst us, children no longer value the elderly and parents do not treat children as they should. There is a need for divine intervention,” said Mr Bosire.
Father Lawrence Nyaanga says that from the recent happenings, there is a clear indication that people do not fear God.
“There is a need for divine intervention even as we seek to address the social ills bedeviling us as a community. The issue of drug abuse and consumption of illicit brews is something that needs a broader conversation,” said Fr Nyaanga.
This is happening at a time the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights Commission (KNCHR) has started hearings in Kisii following the murders that have left Kenyans in shock.
Deputy Governor Dr Robert Monda representing the Kisii County Government, lawmakers Zaheer Jhanda (Nyaribari Chache), Dr Charles Onchoke (Bonchari), Anthony Kibagendi (Kitutu Chache South) and his Kitutu Chache North counterpart Japheth Nyakundi were among those who met Prof Kindiki.
Dr Daniel Manduku (Nyaribari Masaba), Obadiah Barongo (Bomachoge Borabu), Alpha Miruka (Bomachoge Chache) and top security officers from Kisii also met with the Interior CS.
“It is true that we met the Interior CS at his office in Nairobi on Monday. We are concerned as leaders from the region over the spate of societal crime. The rising population and the diminishing land sizes is an issue in our community,” said Dr Monda.
Dr Monda noted that among their raft of measures is the provision of actions that will help address the hard economic times facing community members.
Mr Jhanda said what came out of their meeting with Prof Kindiki is that security officers from the region need more resources to enable them to respond to cases of crime swiftly.
“The CS will be touring Kisii soon and will be there for two days. But in the meantime we have agreed that all lawmakers in the region provide a motorbike to the security personnel in their constituency to help respond to emergencies swiftly,” said Mr Jhanda, noting that police from the region have several constraints hindering efficient service delivery.
He said that they also expressed the need to have more police stations, officers and vehicles in the region in a move that will see security officers closer to community members.
“Of importance too is the need to reshuffle security officers who have overstayed in the region and are very familiar with criminals. They have in the process become conduits of crime,” said Mr Jhanda.
He expressed concern that some police posts have no holding cells which are important for purposes of detaining criminals.
The Nyaribari Chache MP said consumption of illegal brews and drug abuse is a matter of great concern.
“We now have chang’aa being sold in water bottlers and the brew is available to even young children. You see chang’aa is clear, so one cannot suspect that it is liquor,” said Mr Jhanda.
