Arrest the runaway insecurity, Siaya clerics tell police
Clerics when they addressed the press on Tuesday.
The Inter-Religious Caucus in Siaya County and the Solidarity Centre for Peace and Justice have called on security agencies to address killings that have been reported recently in the region.
The Caucus, made up mainly of clerics, said that justice has eluded the affected families.
Bishop James Opiyo, its chair, said they are worried that the police are doing little to solve the murder cases.
“We don’t see arrests; we don’t see perpetrators held accountable. Recently, a young man who had just sat his KCSE exams was abducted from his family’s shop and killed in Uranga. The police got enough leads to arrest the perpetrators but nothing has been done,” he said.
They also asked about the fate of the people who were arrested with crude weapons and hand grenades during ODM nominations in Gem sub-county.
“The people were arrested and found in possession of hand grenades in Gem and it was all over in the media. We have waited for them to be brought to court but nothing has happened. This is setting a bad precedent in Siaya County,” said Bishop Wilfred Amolo.
He added: “Nobody is aware of what happened to the suspects or the crude weapons that they were in possession of. We need to be serious about some things.”
Call for restraint
The Caucus urged young people to practise restraint during election campaigns and avoid being misused by politicians.
“We must understand that Siaya County will remain after politics and in a matter of a few months, politics will be gone and people would need to go back to their normal lives. Therefore, all the youths must ensure they are not vulnerable,” said Canon Joel Atong.
The Caucus also raised the issue of bodies found dumped in the River Yala three months ago. Sheikh Ibrahim Haji urged the government to tell the public what it has found out about the killings.
“Bodies were found floating in the River Yala. Some have been identified while others have not. The police promised to investigate and give the reports. Where is the report? Because the families need justice, the dead also need justice,” he said.
The religious leaders also asked political aspirants to turn up for a prayer meeting in Siaya County.
Responding to the clerics’ remarks, Siaya County Police Commander Michael Muchiri said they were speculative in their statements.
“It would be in order for the Caucus to involve us as the security arm and find out what the progress is. The police have a mandate to offer services to all,” he said.
