For 38-year-old George Sabario Motanya, the night of June 12, 2026 remains a living nightmare. He was left with permanent physical scars after being brutally attacked by a gang wielding machetes while walking home from watching a FIFA World Cup match.
What should have been a short walk home from the nightclub where he had been watching the Canada vs Bosnia and Herzegovina match turned into a horrifying ordeal when criminals ambushed him in the darkness just a short distance from his residence.
When the Nation met Sabario in Mlolongo Town on Tuesday, he was wearing a beanie hat and a facemask to conceal the injuries and scars he sustained during the attack. He says these injuries have left him living in fear and struggling to rebuild his life.
George Sabario Motonya in a hospital bed on June 13, 2026.
Photo credit: Pool
He said that a gang of four attacked him while he was waiting for the caretaker of his residential complex to open the gate for him. He suffered deep cuts to the head inflicted by a panga and lost seven incisors—three upper and four lower teeth. He was left lying in a pool of blood.
"They attacked me mercilessly and left me for dead. They never stole anything from me. I was rushed to a local clinic for first aid before I was taken to Kitengela Sub-County Hospital, where I was admitted for a few days," said Sabario. "Since then, I have not watched any World Cup matches. I am reaching out to my friends to help me raise Sh71,000 for teeth replacement, lest I lose my job. I have lost sound control, which might affect my students."
George Sabario Motonya who was attacked at Mlolongo town, Machakos County in this photo taken on June 30, 2026.
Photo credit: Stanley Ngotho | Nation Media Group
Mr Joe Mutuku, a 27-year-old mkokoteni operator in the 24-hour town of Mlolongo, said he was attacked on June 28 shortly after leaving a video show where he had been watching the World Cup match between Croatia and Ghana. His team, Ghana, had lost to Croatia.
The Belgian supporter sustained a deep cut to his left hand after being waylaid by a gang of criminals along a secluded footpath leading to his rented house in Mlolongo Phase Three. This incident was also reported at Mlolongo Police Station.
"I was startled by the shadows, but before I could defend myself, I was on the ground writhing in pain. My distress call scared my attackers away. Our town (Mlolongo) is no longer safe," said Mutuku.
In a similar incident, Jane (not her real name), aged 24, told the Nation that she was gang-raped on Saturday June 27, 2026.
The distraught woman said that she and her boyfriend were ambushed by a gang of machete-wielding criminals in Mlolongo Phase Two at around 11pm after a night out.
She said her boyfriend fled, leaving her behind, and the masked criminals caught up with her.
"They ransacked my pockets for money and other valuables before they raped me in turn. Later, I managed to drag myself to the nearby road, where I was spotted by a boda-boda rider who rescued me and rushed me to hospital," she said.
She is currently undergoing treatment and counselling. However, she is hesitant to make a formal report to the police, fearing the stigma associated with being a rape victim.
Mr Dominic Mutati, a 25-year-old boda-boda rider, said he had narrowly escaped attacks by the same gang twice within a month. He considers himself fortunate to have escaped unharmed.
"After escaping the criminals twice at around 3am, when I used to begin my boda-boda business, I no longer venture out at that hour. Once darkness falls, I stay indoors. Ardent football fans can no longer watch the matches at ease in town. It's a ruthless gang," said Mutati.
A panga-wielding gang has caused fear in Mlolongo Town.
Photo credit: File | Nation Media Group
All of the victims interviewed by the Nation said that the gang comprises four to five young men armed with machetes and other crude weapons. They said the attackers wear masks and balaclavas, while some reportedly wear police jackets and boots.
Mlolongo Town Ward Administrator Shedrack Mutei said that insecurity had become rampant in the rapidly growing town, particularly during the ongoing FIFA World Cup, whose matches were played late at night in the East African time zone. He blamed the surge in attacks on laxity by security agencies.
"The cases of insecurity are alarming in Mlolongo Town, where criminal gangs are terrorising residents. We want the security agencies to crack the whip," said Mutei.
Athi River West Police Commander Anderson Mbae said that the reported cases are under investigation and that police patrols have been intensified. He urged victims to make formal reports at police stations within his area of jurisdiction.
"Police officers are on high alert to deal with criminals. The reported cases are being investigated. We are following some leads and closing in on the criminals," said Mbae.
