Githingiri Residents Living In Fear As Burglary Becomes The Order Of The Day

Residents of Githingiri Estate near Thika Sports Club in Gatanga Constituency of Murang’a County are a worried lot following rise in residential burglary and petty crimes in the recent times.

On Sunday, the latest victims whose homes were raided the previous night told the press that they were living in fear following a spate of robberies in the last few weeks and blamed the soaring crime on ‘insiders’. They said that the culprits knew the geography of the area so well that they operated in incognito and then had the loot ferried on bodabodas and tuktuks.

“We were asleep in the house when we heard some noises outside our house. Upon peeping through the window, I saw some dark images in the compound and screamed for help. As we were getting out to confront them, we realised that they had tried to break into their house,” said Mama Kimemia.

The thieves ran away as the neighbours woke up to answer the distress call. It was when these people went to the goat shed that they realised six of them had already being killed and they were in the process of slaughtering them when they were heard.

“When we got to the goat shed, we found six goats had already been killed and they had started slaughtering one of them. We found the knife they were using just next to the feeding trough,” said Mama Kimemia.

The victims lamented of the rise in the cases of insecurity saying that in a spate of one week, more than three homesteads had fallen victim to these criminals.

“On Thursday they were at my neighbour’s house, Wednesday they were in this other homestead and we have been reporting the same to the AP Camp in the area, but every time they tell us that they are investigating,” she added.

Caroline Wanjiku, another victim of these criminals said that on Wednesday night, she lost valuables and electronics of unknown value when the thieves broke into her house.

“It was around midnight when they came to my house and stole all my electronic devises. It is as though these people are spraying their victims with anesthetic that render (someone) unconscious because we never heard anything only to wake up in the morning to find that they were victims of robbery,” said Wanjiku.

“Even though we don’t know exactly where these people are coming from, we believe that this is an inside job because they seem to the area so well and easily escape when they suspect that they have been heard,” she added.

“I am very scared now because if at all a person is so daring to break into your home, it means that they are even ready to kill,” said wanjiku.

Lawrence Wanjau Karanja is another victim who has lost valuables too.

The day before yesterday, a similar incident happened in the nearby Kahai-ni shopping centre in Kandara Sub-County where ten goats were killed in a same manner and slaughtered. It is alleged that there has been a syndicate that was involving butchers in the larger Kandara and Thika region who are preying on people’s livestock and sending emissaries to steal, slaughter and run away with the meat, leaving behind what they felt would be evidence that could lead to their arrest.  

All of these victims were unanimous that security in the area was wanting. They called on the authorities to increase surveillance and weed out suspecting characters in the neighbourhood. They also called on the residents to embrace the spirit of ‘Nyumba Kumi’ so as to enhance security amongst themselves.

“I am calling on the police to beef up on security because these people are just within and they will still do it again and again until they are apprehended,” said Wanjiku.