Witeithie Residents Living In Fear After A Spate of Gang Attacks.

John Njoroge showing some of his facial injuries after he was attacked by thugs on Monday night in Witeithie Estate.

Residents of Witeithie Estate in Juja Constituency are now a worried lot after a spate of robberies and attacks by a group of senseless thugs armed with all manner of crude weapons continue to unleash terror with impunity.

The most recent incident happened on Monday night when 35 year old John Njoroge Waweru aka Muchina was seriously injured after he was attacked by thugs at 10:00 pm on his way home. Waweru suffered multiple injuries on the face and forehead.

The victim, who is a matatu tout with Manchester Sacco, narrated how he had just been dropped at Witeithie Stage and was walking home near an upcoming mabati shanties. All over sudden, unknown men pounced on him, attacked him and left him for the dead but not before they robbed him sh. 700.

Waweru’s case is not an isolated one as several people have complained of attacks at the same spot as these attackers are known to hide themselves in or next to the shanties where they pounce on the unsuspecting victims before vanishing into the thin air.

Area residents are now demanding for action from the authorities and want these shelters mostly used by pool, hotel, video operators closed or well-planned since they are currently a security threat. 

Earlier this month, a bodaboda rider was found killed and dumped by the road side in Molo area of Witeithie. The lifeless body of a man only identified as George, aged between 20 and 30 years, with deep cuts on his neck which also seemed to have been twisted, was found on Friday dumped along the Witeithie-Athena route. There were signs that he might also have been hit on the head with a blunt object.

Missing was his ‘Boxer’ motorbike which is suspected to have used by his assailants to flee.

On the previous Saturday, another bodaboda rider plying within the feuding routes narrowly escaped death after the passenger he was ferrying refused to alight from his motorbike despite having paid and reaching his destination. Luckily, just in the nick of time, the rider noticed some dark figures emerging from the bushes and dashing towards his direction.

He was forced to engage a high gear and suddenly ride the motorbike with a jerk, an action that forced his passenger to fall off as he escaped.

He has already reported the incident at the Kimuchu AP Post.   

This was barely a fortnight after matatu operators clashed with bodaboda riders over 'shimo'. The bodaboda riders accused matatus of occupying their shimo and charging less fare to same destinations bodaboda operate. In the attacks, several people were injured with matatus and motorbikes damaged.

Several people were injured, vehicles and bodaboda bikes destroyed when the matatu and bodaboda operators engaged in running battles in Witeithie Estate over stage and fare.

Trouble started when bodaboda operators went at Witeithie Stage, removed and destroyed matatu route sign board from the Thika - Witeithie - Nairobi Sacco matatus before ejecting them from the stage where the two rivals operate from. Later in the day, the Witeithie, Kimuchu, Kamuthi bodaboda Sacco members chased away some of the matatus and beat up two drivers after intercepting them near Malaba area.

The bodaboda operators lamented of insecurity and claimed to be working in fear appealed to the authorities to beef up security through vigilance and more police patrols.

Reacting to these claims, Juja Sub-County Deputy Commissioner Muthama Wambua said that the residents were also to blame since they failed to report these matters to authorities for action. He said even the above victim had not yet reported the matter to Witeithie AP Camp for assistant.

“The police cannot know of thuggery incidents if the matters are not reported for action to be taken. How can we act on such unreported incidents which we are learning from the press,” said Wambua.

He however said that he will soon organise a security baraza in the area to address the teething problems in the sprawling estate.

The residents feel that there was a need to increase the number of police officers in the Estate estimated to have a population of over 40,000 residents.