- Tuwan location chief Evans Wangwe said the deceased was a newly admitted pupil of Kaloleni Primary School.
- Villagers could not identify the body. It was taken to Kitale County Referral Hospital mortuary.
Residents of Bondeni village in Trans Nzoia West subcounty have been thrown into mourning following the brutal killing of an unknown school boy.
Tuwan location chief Evans Wangwe said the deceased was a newly admitted pupil of Kaloleni Primary School.
The young boy was killed and his half-naked body dumped in a forest near Mtoni Nyang’au.
“It is shocking that someone can decide to take away the life of an innocent small boy like this. This is a criminal act and we cannot describe it in any other words,” said Protus Simiyu, a resident.
He blamed the killing on Bogi Mawe gang, which has been terrorising locals, raping women and breaking into homes. He urged locals to team up with security agencies to help apprehend the criminals.
“I understand the boy is a new pupil in Kaloleni Primary school. It is unfortunate that his life has been cut short. Let justice be done to avenge his killing", he said.
Villagers could not identify the body. It was taken to Kitale County Referral Hospital mortuary.
A woman who didn’t want her identity revealed complained that the terror group, believed to operate from bushes near the river, sodomised a 14-year-old boy who had gone to fetch water at the river before killing him two months ago.
“I’m pleading with parents not to send children to fetch water at the river because of the terror gang," she said.
“Police should intensify patrols and flush out these criminals to make the area safe”.
The residents also pointed fingers at parents of the youths engaging in criminal activities for protecting their children.
Daniel Wekesa, a Nyumba Kumi elder, said it was worrying that locals had been held hostage by the criminal gang to the extent that they don’t even go out for short calls at night.
Wekesa told the Star the murder had caused fear among locals who have started relocating to safer places to avoid attacks.
Former Tuwan MCA Francis Obingo appealed to the government to beef up security in the area .
Trans Nzoia county commissioner Samson Ojwang warned that the government would not hesitate to take punitive action against the terror group.
He announced the start of an operation to rid Kitale and its environs of the dreaded Bogi Mawe gang.
“Security agencies will from now henceforth begin a sting operation to root out the criminal gang Bogi Mawe harassing residents in the slum dwellings and their environs," he said.
Tuwani, Matisi, Kipsongok and Kisumu Ndogo are some of the areas hit hard by incidents of mugging, robbery and rape by the criminal gang.
Ojwang said the county security and intelligence committee had put in place measures to ensure the gang is crushed.
"Our mandate as security officers is to protect citizens and their properties in line with the Constitution of Kenya. We will not allow anyone to deny others peace," he said.