Fact check: Criminals did not break for Christmas

As Interior CS Fred Matiang’i was announcing last Friday that there were no major crimes reported in the 24 hours leading to Christmas Day, some Kenyans were at home nursing injuries or the pain of losing loved ones following serious criminal incidents.

The Nation has established that criminals did not take a break on the two big days of the festive season, as several murders, robberies with violence and other crimes were reported in police stations across the country.

While Dr Matiang’i and Inspector-General Hilary Mutyambai ensured increased security during the festive season, even recalling all officers on leave, a crime-free day remains elusive for Kenya’s protection agencies.

“We have not received any security incident report. The country is calm, other than a few challenges related to transport,” Dr Matiang’i said while citing Mr Mutyambai as his witness.

But police incident reports have now raised questions about the security bosses’ claims, as they indicate that there was a lot of misery wreaked on some families across the country owing to criminal activity.

Suspected assault

Early morning on December 24, a weak 10-year-old Janet Nambia was staggering around her family’s Pangani, Nairobi, home.

Janet’s older niece spotted her struggling to walk and decided to rush the minor to Radiant Hospital on Juja Road. Doctors pronounced Janet dead on arrival and police were immediately informed of the incident.

Detectives have two suspects in mind – Ms Jackline Mumuli Diana and Ms Loise Achieng.

Ms Achieng is the main suspect, but her last traceable movements were when she switched off her phone shortly after traveling to Ndalu, Bungoma County.

Ms Mumuli was arrested on the day of the incident.

Court papers seen by the Nation do not indicate the relationship between Ms Mumuli, Ms Achieng and the dead child.

But detectives have uncovered that Janet had head and neck injuries from severe corporal punishment.

Starehe DCI office on Tuesday filed an application seeking to hold Ms Mumuli until investigations are completed.

Tenant attacked

The same evening, a building caretaker in Madogo, Bura North was doing a routine check on tenants. At 8.27pm, Mr Gobu Mata noticed that one of his tenants, Ms Esther Muthengi was lying on the floor of her house and appeared too weak to stand or sit up.

Mr Mata noticed head and neck injuries on Ms Muthengi and took her to the Garissa Referral Hospital. Just like Janet, Ms Muthengi was pronounced dead on arrival. Police are investigating the suspected murder.

Four hours later, 44-year-old Joram Kiara was riding his motorcycle on the Nakuru-Nairobi highway when a motor vehicle knocked him down. The fall killed Mr Kiara.

As there were no witnesses, the make, colour or any other description of the vehicle that hit Mr Kiara remains unknown. Police are, however, investigating the incident.

Just 30 minutes after Mr Kiara died, Lugari resident Edward Kibwasi’s body was found lying next to the popular Life Bar, with visible injuries on his face and hands. Blood was also oozing from Mr Kibwasi’s mouth. His murder is also under investigation.

The Nation has seen at least 10 other incidents that led to death in the 24 hours between December 24 and 25.

Narrow escape

Some individuals like Derrick Ndeta Litunya narrowly survived.

Mr Litunya was walking home in Dandora, Nairobi, on December 24 evening, when a gang attacked him and beat him up. The gang robbed him of a Nokia 2.2 phone valued at Sh10,000 and Sh120 in cash.

Mr Kennedy Sude Ouma, Mr Dickson Mwangangi Mukwenyi, Mr Michael Ouma Odhiambo and Mr Kevin Mwangi Waithera were on Tuesday charged with the robbery.

Mr Abdirashid Hamed was saved by the khat (miraa) that he was taking to Gerile.

The driver was stopped by a police officer identified as Ibrahim Isaack. Mr Isaack demanded a kilogramme of khat, but Mr Hamed refused and sped off. Mr Isaack shot at the vehicle. While the bullet penetrated the vehicle’s body, it got lodged in the consignment of khat in the vehicle.

And for criminals, it was business as usual, even after Christmas Day.

Other deaths

Five people have died as a result of murder, drowning and suicide in the last four days in Bomet County.

A 31-year-old man whose name has not been released was stabbed to death at Mosoricho village in Kembu ward, Bomet East Sub County on Christmas night.

A 19-year-old Form Three student committed suicide on Saturday night after an alleged disagreement with her boyfriend, according to relatives and administrators. She hanged herself with a rope at night outside her parents’ home at Kapkoros village in Bomet Central constituency.

On Monday, the Makadara Law Courts in Nairobi were full of suspects who were arrested between December 24 and 27.

Two of the cases we followed up involved murder, three involved robbery with violence and one involved drug trafficking.

Reporting by Joseph Ndunda, Mary Wambui, Vitalis Kimutai, Shaban Makokha and Brian Wasuna