Kawira village residents in Gatundu North have accused police of slow investigations into the murder of a Nyumba Kumi elder.
Peter Kanja, 61, was killed on Friday night on his way home. His assailants hit him with a blunt object in the head, killing him instantly. His body was dumped in a thicket.
Residents said Kanja was murdered because of his unwavering fight against drugs and illicit brews in the village.
Carrying placards and twigs, the residents said a gang of illicit alcohol brewers and drug peddlers have been at loggerheads with the elder and may have killed him to enable them to continue with their illegal trade.
“He was a man we all loved. He has been giving criminals sleepless nights, and we suspect that is why they killed him. We demand justice for our elder,” a resident said.
The protesters accused the police of not doing enough to bring the killers to book. They claimed the perpetrators of the crime are still roaming freely in the village.
However, a police source who requested anonymity, said the matter is being investigated and one suspect is in custody.
“You know we cannot be updating the entire village where we have reached with our investigations. But the fact is we are closing in on our investigations. We will bring all culprits involved in the murder to book. We will see to it that the slain elder gets justice,” the officer said.
Residents said the gang has threatened other Nyumba Kumi elders in the village and to Kanja’s family, raising alarm over soaring insecurity.
Members of the deceased’s family declined to speak to journalists for fear of being attacked.
The protesters claimed the brewers are conducting their trade in broad daylight under the watch of the police.
“We are sure the police are aware of the brewing dens, and they are yet to conduct crackdowns to arrest the culprits. If they can’t do their work, we will mobilise everyone in this village and shut down the brewing dens,” a boda boda rider said.
Another protester said they will form a vigilante group to guard the village if the police fail to secure them.
