Siaya residents living in fear as killer gangs run amok

They are armed, dangerous, and have absolutely no qualms about killing their victims to get what they want . 

The gangs of ruthless robbers have taken over the streets of Siaya town and its environs, and are giving police and residents sleepless nights.

They have allegedly killed five people in the past one month, with the latest attack being the abduction and murder of a taxi driver in Bondo.

Read: Siaya police arrest two over death of Jua Kali artisan 

Police on Friday found his body buried in a shallow grave near an abandoned quarry in Gem Sub-county, while his vehicle was found in Siaya town. He had been missing since November 1.

Following the incident, a joint operation involving Directorate of Criminal Investigations officers from Bondo and Siaya led to the arrest of four suspects.

County police commander Francis Kooli identified them as Florence Awiti Omollo, 38, Nevile Omondi Aloma, 30, Wycliffe Aluoch Owuondo, 20, and Samuel Ouma Owiso, 38.

“The suspects led the team to the victim’s Toyota Probox car registration number KBM 841W in Siaya town and later retrieved his body from a shallow grave in Akala,” said Mr Kooli.

Body exhumed

The detectives exhumed the body on Friday after obtaining a court order.

On the same night, robbers broke into a shop at Siala trading centre in Gem Sub-county and stole assorted goods worth Sh20,000.

A 56-year-old night guard was killed by the gang. His body was found the following morning by children who were going to school. On the night of October 27, a three-man gang shot dead a 53-year-old man in Siaya town.

Mr George Okoth Meyo was shot as he approached his home at Euro Style estate in Karapul Sub-location.

The deceased was an employee of Azuri Solar Raha Company. He was in his car together with his wife, who runs an M-Pesa business in Siaya town. The gun-totting thugs ambushed the couple at the gate of their residence about 4 kilometres from Siaya Police Station. They robbed them of cash worth Sh20,000, a mobile phone valued at Sh14,000 and airtime scratch cards worth Sh4,000.

The deceased was shot in the back on the left shoulder and the bullet exited through the right side of his chest.  His wife escaped unhurt.

On October 17, a Busia-based businessman was killed by thugs at his home in Sega. Mr Hussein Omondi Mbagai, 48, was hacked to death outside his house at 7.30pm, the police said. Nothing was stolen during the attack.

“He had deep cuts on the head and neck. It is alleged that one of the thugs was armed with a rifle but we have ascertained that no shot was fired,” said Mr Kooli. Police arrested six suspects on October 18 in relation to the incident.

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