Tens of suspects connected to runaway insecurity in Tuwan slums and its environs in Trans Nzoia county were on Thursday arrested by police officers in Kitale.
Speaking to the Star in his Kitale office, Trans Nzoia West police boss Patrick Lobolia revealed that the suspects were nabbed after a series of robbery cases spanning from housebreaking to phone snatching.
Of the 45 suspects, five were arrested at the Kisumu Ndogo area in Mitume slums after they forcefully entered the house of Antony Waweru, a renowned businessman in the area.
“They forced themselves into the house and cut him twice on the head and the stomach while his wife was cut on the shoulder there. One of them raped the lady", said the police boss.
Lobolia says that police officers acted swiftly and arrested the five with the locals baying for their blood.
“We acted swiftly and managed to arrest them and arraigned them before Kitale court for robbery with violence charges," he said.
The other 40 were arrested after they were found idling in Matisi and Tuwani areas.
According to the police boss, the forty who are in their early twenties to thirties were arrested for associating themselves with criminal gangs.
“The groups of criminal gangs were apprehended by police after locals associated them with the increase in phone snatching cases targeting political gatherings. The group has structured command including their gang commanders and other leaders while zoning the areas where other gangs cannot operate,” Lobolia added.
This comes as local leaders led by Tuwan MCA Bernard Wambwa complained of the groupings and linked politicians to them.
“There is a section of politicians who are funding those gangs. After an end of the political season they turn into criminal gangs who terrorize locals,” Wambwa said.
