Who killed our kin? Siaya relatives seek justice
Family members of those who died at the hand of criminal gangs in Siaya gather for a meeting.
The road to justice for the families who lost their loved ones at the hands of criminal gangs in Siaya has been long and rocky, and some of them are slowly giving up.
Since the year began, attacks, abductions and killings have been reported at police stations, but the perpetrators are yet to be arrested and prosecuted.
A counselling session in Siaya town for affected families revealed the deep pain victims’ relatives are enduring.
In April, four people were killed by gangsters but the police are yet to conclude their investigations.
They include Brian Ochieng Adhiambo 19, who was abducted on April 11 before his body was found dumped three days later at Uranga trading centre.
Boncliffe Odhiambo, 20, met his untimely demise on April 20; Joash Onyango Odhiambo, 18, from Segere in Alego Usonga, was also killed and his body dumped in Siaya town next to a mosque.
Mr Paul Odhiambo, father of the late Onyango, expressed his reservations about how the investigations are being conducted, claiming justice is for the rich.
“If I had enough money I would have facilitated the investigations in order for my son to get justice, but now I have to wait in pain for a process whose end I don’t know,” said Mr Odhiambo.
The story is the same for the late Ochieng, whose mutilated body was discovered on April 14. His family is yet to come to terms with his death.
A close family member, who requested not to be named as the family was against talking to the media, said they live in fear as the killers have not been arrested.
"We don't understand the motive of the killers. We are living in fear because we don't know what the killers would do next now that they are at large. For a long time, we have not seen or heard about any progress in investigations," said the family member.
Emmanuel Shalom Ministries, a church based in Bondo town, is also mourning the death of one of its members at the hands of criminals.
Salim Opany, 29, a bread vendor, went missing on May 11. His family and friends searched for him for one week before someone notified them that there was a body at the Bondo sub-county mortuary with clothes similar to those he was wearing when he disappeared.
Mr Steven Otieno, a close friend of Opany, will be arraigned in a Siaya court on June 6 for the murder.
Earlier in the year, on February 10, the family of Mr Thomas Wayodi woke up to the sad news of their relative, Monica Anyango Wayodi, had been murdered in cold blood by unknown people on her way from a hospital. She worked as a school bursar.
This added to the family’s pain, as they had lost another loved one, Prisca Auma Wayodi, in the Garissa University terrorist attack on April 2, 2015.
“No family should undergo what we have undergone. It is sad and it would be in order to have the perpetrators arrested and charged for their acts, not only to us but also other families that have suffered the same,” Wayodi said.
Human rights activists from Siaya and the umbrella body Siaya Solidarity Centre held peaceful demonstrations to remind the police about unsolved crimes in the county.
“Let the police focus on ensuring the people are safe. Let them patrol during the nights in order to bring to an end all these criminal acts. Some of the perpetrators will continue with the same acts knowing that they will get away with it,” said Mr Fredrick Ojiro, a human rights activist in Siaya.
Ms Mesaid Omar, of Haki Africa, said the pain that families undergo after losing loved ones affects them for years.
“Nobody plans to face what some of them are facing now; the security arm of the government should constantly communicate with and update them. When arrests are made and perpetrators face the law, there is a feeling of relief that the families get,” Ms Omar said.
Addressing the activists, Siaya County Police Commander Michael Muchiri said the police were investigating the crimes and the perpetrators will face the law.
