- Kajiado East MP demanded a complete overhaul of police officers in the Kitengela.
- The legislators says officers are inept in responding to emergencies and are corrupt.
Kajiado East MP Peris Tobiko became the first politician on Monday to condemn the killing of four youths in Kitengela on August 8.
The MP called on Interior CS Fred Matiang’i to overhaul police officers in the area.
“Life is sacred and the sanctity of life is cardinal in humanity. There is no justification, whatsoever, to take away the life of innocent young people,” Tobiko said.
She was reacting to the killing of Fredrick Mureithi, 30, his younger brother Victor Mwangi, 25, their cousins Mike George and Nicholas Musa who were speared to death over claims of being cattle thieves.
Following the killings, Kajiado county police commander Muthuri Mwongera promised quick action in apprehending the culprits.
He said the four youths should have been handed to the police and not residents taking law into their hands.
But the Kajiado East MP demanded a complete overhaul of police officers in Kitengela, citing officers' inept response to emergencies and deep-rooted corruption.
She said the increase in killings, loss of property, hijacking and even kidnapping of children under police watch is raising a lot of doubt about their ability to provide protection.
“We mourn the departed young souls and stand with their families during this difficult times. I am touched as a parent by the loss of those energetic youth,” she said.
The MP said the killers were still walking freely and demanded a speedy investigation and justice as well as enhanced security in areas of Olooltepes, Tuala, Olturoto and Korrompoi.
“Our children today have dreadlocks, tattoos, speak no mother tongue, live in estates and can’t wait for the weekend to take a breather out of town to ride their bikes. So these are not grounds for associating them with crime,” said Tobiko during a press conference in Kitengela town.
She asked, “Were the four young men killed in Kitengela criminals? did the innocent souls deserved to die because of complete lapse in security?”
The legislator asked Matiang’i to post police officers to all the posts built by the community and the national government constituency development funds.
“Your officers are taking advantage of the curfew hours to extort money from innocent businesspeople, revellers and college students delayed by traffic jams in the evening,” the MP said.
Tobiko demanded an explanation from the Interior CS to tell the affected families where security agencies were when their children were killed.
“Where were the intelligence and investigative agencies, police patrols and the entire county security team when innocent human blood was spilled in the plains by criminals?” she asked.
The loss of lives and livestock, Tobiko said, must be treated separately and independently so that hooliganism and or mob injustice is not camouflaged in the issue of livestock and bandits.
Isinya sub-county police commander Charles Chepkonga told the Star on Monday night his officers had made a breakthrough in the investigations on the Kitengela killings.
However, Chepkonga said he would be releasing the findings of the police investigations on Tuesday at 10am.
-Edited by SKanyara