• Despite residents reporting the crimes to the Madogo police station, the robberies continue unabated.
• So bad is the situation that no one dares speak about it in public.
Residents of Madogo and Mororo in Tana River county are living in fear as cases of daylight robberies soar despite the presence of a police station.
Criminals on motorcycles snatch women's purses and mobile phones.
Nominated Garissa MCA Queen Teresia, who lives in Madogo, warns that the situation could get out of hand if the police do not respond.
Teresia said despite residents reporting the crimes to the Madogo police station, the robberies continue unabated.
“The residents are robbed during the daytime. In Mororo, the victims are even stabbed with some cases ending in fatalities,” This cannot continue yet we have the police,” Teresia said.
The MCA urged the national government to post more police officers to the area if the situation is to be contained.
Rev Joseph Mwasya said he reported four incidents at the Madogo police station and none of them was investigated. He said that since the curfew came into effect, there is a surge in daytime robberies.
“The police are enforcing the curfew at night and by morning, they are tired and cannot deal with crime,” Mwasya said.
Residents attribute the rise in crime to police laxity. So bad is the situation that no one dares speak about it in public.
“We have stopped reporting crimes because the police pay a deaf ear to our complaints. Some of the victims are even threatened for reporting to the police,” resident Hussein of Madogo told the Star.
“We are left with wondering how these criminals get to know that an incident they were involved in was reported,” he added.
He called on Independent Police Oversight Authority to investigate the conduct of some of the police officers at the Madogo station.
“It is no secret that some rogue police officers in areas where crime is prevalent collaborate with criminals."
Last year, a group of youth called Kayole posted video recordings accusing and threatening certain individuals within Madogo of being police informers.
They warned them to stop reporting to police, lest they face consequences.
The gang went underground after their leaders were arrested but according to Hussein, it seems the group has resurfaced.
Edited by Frank Obonyo