• He said the completion of the police houses would also pave way for the operationalisation of the station.
• Sofia Mranga, another resident said the presence of the police station has already restored calm in the area.
Image: ELIAS YAA
Vitengeni residents in Ganze subcounty have lauded the construction of a police station in the area, saying it will spur economic growth.
Felix Kachakwa, a resident said the area had lagged behind due to insecurity.
Speaking during the groundbreaking of police quarters at the station, Kachakwa said residents had to trek more than thirty kilometres to Bamba police station to report cases.
He said the completion of the police houses would also pave way for the operationalisation of the station.
“It costs Sh1000 to travel to Bamba. If you do not have that money, you had to walk or let your matter go unreported. This area is infamous for theft of livestock and sexual offences and most of these cases go unreported because of the distances residents have to walk,” Kachakwa said.
Kachakwa said defilement cases have failed to take off because witnesses fail to record statements.
Ganze MP Teddy Mwambire said the station will be commissioned in a month's time when the staff quarters are ready.
“The police station is complete but cannot operate without a place where police officers can sleep. We are building houses for a few officers and the rest will rent outside," Mwambire said.
"So that they can be integrated into the community. The essence of having the houses here is to provide security to the station."
Sofia Mranga, another resident said the presence of the police station has already restored calm in the area.
"For the last one year since the construction of this station began crime cases have reduced. There was a group of youths who used to rape elderly women, but they have since vanished,” she said.
Mranga, however, asked the administration to control the number of pastoralists currently herding animals saying they are a great risk to security.
“These pastoralists are from other counties. They came here in search of pasture for their animals. Sometimes they threaten to rape women. This has forced men to accompany their women to fetch firewood,” she said.
The MP said Vitengeni has been said to be a hideout of the outlawed Mombasa Republican Council but the new police station will help combat that.
Vitengeni has several caves along River Rare, which security officers believed were used as hideouts by the MRC.
“We are heading to the election and we have not experienced any ugly incidences. We believe this is due to the presence of police officers in the community," Mwambire said.
(Edited by Tabnacha O)