Security agencies in Nakuru city are grappling with a new wave of crime.
When William Kamwaro left his home in Posta Estate, Nakuru County, on May 20 to meet friends at a nearby shopping centre, he was in good health and high spirits.
But the following day, the lifeless body of the 49-year-old was discovered by the roadside.
Mr Kamwaro had been attacked by thugs riding on a motorcycle while on his way home. They robbed him of his belongings and brutally assaulted him, leaving him for dead.
In an interview, his wife, Mary Karanja, recalled that he left home around 3 pm but never returned. The next morning, before she began searching for him, she received a phone call informing her of his death and was instructed to report to the Lanet Police Station.
"I rushed to the station and officers informed me that his body had been moved to the Nakuru City mortuary," she said.
At the mortuary, Ms Karanja confirmed her worst fears. Her husband's body bore three stab wounds – on the neck and stomach.
"I was told he died on the spot due to excessive bleeding. It’s been two months and nothing has been done. I have asked the police if they have tracked his phone but still no progress,” she said.
Mr Kamwaro, who worked in Eldoret, had just visited his family for a two-week stay.
“I just want justice for his death. He was innocent and didn’t harm anyone. He left me with three children,and I’m jobless. I’m still in pain – we miss him – but I have to be strong for my children,” she added.
Mr Kamwaro is one of at least 10 people attacked in a rising crime wave that has gripped Lanet over the past six months. Most victims were stabbed and robbed by unknown assailants.
Stabbed to death
Shockingly, one of the victims was a Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) officer who was killed during his routine morning run, just a few metres from the Lanet Police Station and the Lanet Military Barracks.
“If thugs can kill a trained KDF officer, what about civilians?” wondered James Kariuki, a Lanet resident.
In May, a Nyumba Kumi official was stabbed to death near Posta Road, and a month later, a young girl was killed in a similar fashion in Ng’ang’a area, all within Lanet.
While some victims survived the attacks, many were left injured. Ms Valentine Njeri, a business owner in Umoja 2 estate near the military barracks, counts herself lucky after surviving an attack by three armed robbers in May.
“One posed as a customer asking for a credit card. After gaining my trust, he signaled his accomplices who stormed in beat me and stole Sh3,500 from my cashbox and Sh9,000 via mobile money transfer,” she recounted.
The Daily Nation has established that officers from three police stations in Lanet face major logistical challenges. A police officer who spoke on condition of anonymity said they lack working vehicles.
Despite these claims, Bahati Police Commander Lilies Wachira downplayed the situation.
“Are you sure there’s insecurity in Lanet? Everything is under control. People should report crimes but many don’t making it hard for us,” she said.
However, Nation confirmed that DCI detectives are working with local police to track down the culprits behind the crime wave.
In a recent TV interview, Bahati MP Irene Njoki admitted that insecurity was a major issue in her constituency.
