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.
No comments: