By C, KNA
Police in Kisumu county have arrested five suspects linked to emerging criminal gangs that have been terrorizing residents, as security agencies mount a sweeping crackdown to restore order in the lakeside city.
Nyanza Regional Commissioner (RC) Flora Mworoa said the gangs which are behind the recent wave of insecurity, extortion, harassment of residents, intimidation of business owners were being profiled, with more arrests expected.
“We have noted with great concern the emerging acts of illegal gangs within Kisumu County who have recently been engaged in unlawful activities. The security actors in the region take this development seriously and warn that illegal gangs will not be tolerated in Kisumu or any other part of the region. Any person found to be a member, financier or sympathizer of such groups will face the full force of the law,” she said.
Mworoa, who chaired a joint meeting of the Nyanza Regional and Kisumu County Security Committees to address the issue, revealed that hotspots including Ufunu in Kisumu East, Manyata, Obunga, and Nyalenda have been mapped for sustained operations.
“We are going to have a serious operation to ensure that all criminal elements, who are operating in these areas and threatening the peace of our people are dealt with,” she said.
The crackdown, she said, will continue until all the criminal gangs are completely dismantled, adding that no group or individual will be allowed to threaten peace, security and the socio-economic stability in the area.
The RC also flagged rising cases of cattle theft in Nyakach Sub-County saying security officers were investigating a syndicate where criminals were colluding with locals to supply stolen animals to butcheries in Kisumu city.
“We have put in place a system whereby we are liaising with the members of the community to give us the names of the cartels that are involved in cattle theft. We have very good leads and very soon once we act on the leads that we already have, I want to believe that the stock theft in Nyakach and of course the other areas is going to stop,” she said.
As the crackdown intensifies, Mworoa warned against rising incidents of mob lynching, urging residents to let police handle suspected criminals.
“Kenya is a country of the rule of law. Sometimes you may conduct mob justice on a person who is just a suspect.
If no investigations have been made to conclusively say that a person is a criminal, then how do you arrest or even kill or burn such a person? Those involved in mob justice should stop,” she said.
On concerns that some ex-convicts were linked to the rising insecurity, the RC called for calm urging residents not to stigmatize them.
“The fact that I was in prison does not mean that once a criminal activity happens in my village it is me again. Sometimes it’s just suspicion, therefore I still call upon the members of the public to allow the security apparatus to do their due diligence and identify the real criminals,” she said.
As the National Police Service (NPS) recruitment draws near, the RC cautioned the public against falling victim to con men selling fake recruitment letters.
“I want to state that recruitment has not been announced by the government. Therefore, members of the public should be wary of people who are going around conning them.
Once recruitment has been planned it will be announced and for now nobody should allow themselves to be conned. Even when it happens, it remains free,” she said.