A Maragua town street on July 27, 2022.
As residents of Maragua town in Murang'a County grapple with the murder of more than 10 people in the past three months, among them five babies, security officials appear clueless on how to handle the situation.
Nearby Murang'a Technical Training College students have recently killed two other people on grounds of being part of a gang that waylays the scholars and robbing them.
The babies that have died in the crime wave included one who was found defiled, murdered and dumped in a public well on February 9, 2025.
Post-mortem report by pathologist Waithera Mbau conducted on February 10, 2025, at Murang'a Level Five hospital mortuary indicated that "she was hit with a blunt object on the head, she had bruises around the eyes and neck. Her hymen had been broken and had multiple bruises around her private part".
It added: "She was thrown in the water body while dead because she had no water in the lungs, trachea or oesophagus".
House fire
This was preceded by the December 19, 2024, mysterious house fire where four children lost their lives.
The fire claimed the lives of Alvin Kamau aged four years, Brenda Wanjiku 3, Jayden Waweru 2, and one-year-old Lyon Muturi. They slept inside an iron sheet structure that their parents called home.
Clockwise: Alvine Kamau, Brenda Wanjiku, Jayden Waweru and Lyon Muturi who died in a fire tragedy in Murang'a County on December 19, 2024.
The town is now consistently in the news for the cruelty of murder that knows even no hallowed grounds. On February 10, 2025 the body of a murdered man was found dumped near Presbyterian Church of East Africa, a few metres from Maragua Police Station.
As residents grow weary and frustrated in the turn of events, they have been reaching out to the media, expressing their dissatisfaction with how Murang'a South Sub County Security committee is handling the situation.
In retaliation, the security committee has been accused of targeted arrests against those branded as inciters out to defame security instruments.
Four residents were arrested by a contingent of about 15 Maragua police officers on February 23, only for Maragua MP Mary wa Maua to storm the station demanding their unconditional release.
Murang'a South Deputy County Commissioner Mr Gitonga Murungi later announced the unconditional release of Peter Mburu 16, Nancy Njoki 24, Ejidia Wairimu 27 and Lucy Njoki 30.
"They had been arrested to shed light on claims associated with them in the mainstream TV stations that men are being sodomised by gangs," he said.
Accompanied by human rights lawyer Maina Gatundu, the MP's entourage was shocked to find that the four had not been booked in the Occurrence Book.
Instead, they had their statements recorded as they waited for the police officers to make up their mind on how to proceed.
Mr Gatundu said he is considering suing the State for the four arrests, terming them as going against “our progressive Bill of Rights and a direct affront on media freedom".
Ms Maua said there were concerns partisan politics was affecting the work of security officials.
She said that it was such negative politics that saw a security meeting convened on February 15, 2025, aborted after some politicians ordered security officers to boycott it.
On February 23, 2025, Mr Murungi visited Woman Representative Betty Maina's office in Kenol town to discuss what they said were "matters affecting the area".
The meeting had Maragua security on the agenda list, both agreeing that they would soon hold a joint meeting in the town.
"We did not boycott the initial meeting that had been slated to happen...we gathered that there was political infiltration that sought to raid selected security offices and eject some officers. We found out participation in that meeting to be untenable," Mr Murungi said.
On February 25, 2025, an emergency security meeting was convened by County Commissioner Joshua Nkanatha in Murang'a town where Murang'a South Sub-County security bosses led by Mr Murungi attended.
Mr Nkanatha said that "security in our collective zone is non-negotiable and we will restore the rule of law".
Long wait for justice
As security officials and politicians scramble to overcome their differences and find solutions, the family of Ms Elizabeth Njeri, 79, who was found on February 9, 2025, raped and murdered in her Kamucheru village waits for justice.
And on January 8, 2025, in Mung'etho village Ms Grace Wanja Maina aged 47 years was retrieved from her house with extensive fire injuries that killed her a week later, police said there was a male assailant who was being sought.
To date, the suspect is yet to be apprehended, leaving the grieving family searching for answers.
On January 24, Mercy Njoya, 34, had been attacked by a gang of four in her Maragua town’s Mathare Estate house and petrol bombed. She suffered injuries that killed her 13 days later as she received treatment at Kenyatta National Hospital.
"But instead of the officers arresting the criminals behind the spate of murders, that include those of five children aged between four years and one year, they moved to arrest those captured giving media interviews," former Ichagaki MCA Charles Mwangi said at the station on February 25, 2025.
He said that the town is fast sinking into anarchy since residents have started executing extrajudicial killings as was witnessed when the students killed two people they claimed were criminals.
Maragua Assistant County Commissioner Joshua Okello said there were deeper problems leading to the runaway crime but officials and other stakeholders were working hard to handle the situation.
Murang'a Senator Joe Nyutu called on Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen to ensure the security team is overhauled.
"We are not ready to put up with police officers who never solve crime, never bust any murder but are quick to arrest those residents who speak to the media about insecurity," he said.
Mr Joe Nyutu.
Mr Nyutu said the area is home to some officers who have served for years.
"The government has been announcing that such officers will be moved to eradicate familiarity with and indoctrination into, criminal networks," he said.
Local DCI boss John Kanda said his department is working hard on a number of investigations and pointed out that all those who had been arrested were facing the law.
County Health Chief officer Eliud Maina told Nation.Africa that Maragua Level Four Hospital has of late been experiencing an upsurge of patients seeking treatment for various forms of physical assault from the crime wave.
County Youth, Sports and Culture Chief Executive Manoah Gachucha said "we must engage the security agents on how best to address this Maragua gangland issue since those suffering most are the youths".
He added: “These deaths that are being reported in alarming frequency in Maragua town are very suspect. We can no longer continue like this.”
