Escalating Insecurity In Witeithie As Another Man Is Murdered In Cold Blood.

A damaged matatu and bodabda bike in a recent fight over matatu route in Witeithie

Shock and grief gripped residents of Witeithie Estate, Juja in Kiambu County after a bodaboda rider was found killed and dumped along a road side over the weekend.

The lifeless body of the 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 in Molo area 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.

Some residents are trying to associate the murder to the ongoing tussle between bodaboda and matatu operators fighting over routes and the amount of fares they charged but no one can comprehensively establish the motive.

In the last few days, the residents of Witeithie have been enduring a series of serious cases of insecurity which has left them fearing for their safety. Burglaries and break-ins are soaring especially while the homeowners were away.

These activities have compelled many residents to live in fear. It is not uncommon nowadays to get a phone call from a friend or a relative lamenting the armed robbery situation in the larger Witeithie area. The situation is so bad that it is a struggle for residents arriving home late from work and especially those carrying luggage to meander through the streets of the estate even as early as 9pm. Immediately, one gets off to an isolated spot in the estate, the boys pounce on them and loot everything, and at times attacking them with crude weapons.

It is barely a fortnight when 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.

  

On the night to 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, the rider noticed some dark figures emerging from the bushes and dashing towards his direction just in the nick of time.

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.

The bodaboda operators are lamenting of insecurity and claim to be working in fear. They are now calling on the authorities to beef up security through vigilance and more police patrols.