• Residents say officers invaded their village and torched nine house, goats and valuable property.
• But police boss says officers have been shot with arrows thrice in attempts to arrest criminals.
Police in Meru have denied claims of torching nine houses in efforts to flush out alleged notorious criminals.
County police commander Patrick Lumumba dismissed the accusations as stage-managed, adding that only one makeshift hideout was torched after it became hard to flush out well connected criminals.
He said police have been ambushed and shot with arrows thrice in their attempts to arrest the criminals from their remote, hilly and secure hideouts at Kiguru, Kanuni ward in Igembe South subcounty.
But residents insist the officers invaded their village and torched nine house, killed their goats and destroyed valuable properties.
Three goats, a motorcycle and other property were burnt.
Resident Joseph Mutunyi told journalists he lost all of his property at a go on Saturday last week.
“Everything was burnt to ashes. My chicken, goats, clothes. I am left with nothing. I can’t withstand the pain,” Mutunyi said.
He said criminals have taken over a land belonging to three relatives despite the fact that their father won a case to possess the property.
He said as a human rights defender and one who is a friend to many poor people within the county, he is after justice for everyone.
“Most of my friends are poor people. I will never watch as the property of the vulnerable is taken away. A gang that is protected by powerful individuals has been employed after land was grabbed from three brothers. Their father won a case and they have documents," Lumumba said in his office on Monday.
"They have been camping at police stations seeking justice."
The police boss, however, blamed land adjudication officers for allocating one piece of land to more than three people leading to unending disputes.
He noted that such officers were transferred after it was evident they were allocating land in a corrupt manner.
Another resident said his sprayer, solar panel, ten bags of food, a TV set, clothes and other property were reduced to ashes.
“I first heard gunshots. I ran out of my house and saw police officers in the vicinity and within a moment my house was in flames. I don’t know where we will be sleeping or what my children will eat,” he said.
Kanuni MCA Josphat Mugambi told a radio station that he will sue the OCPD and chief for making the people he represents suffer.
(Edited by R.Wamochie)