Residents of Katelembu village in a location named Katheka Kai which is about 10 kilometres from Machakos town on the way to Nairobi on Monday complained about the rapidly increasing crime cases in the area following the rise of an organised gangster group who they claim are armed with guns and machetes.
Speaking at a crime scene where many villagers were gathered, the area chief Mr. Pius Kioko said that one villager was seriously injured by the robbers who stormed into his home on Sunday night and stole money among other property.
"Neighbors heard the man, wife and children crying for help but no one dared to go to their rescue because of an incident which happened just a week ago whereby another man's home was being robbed and the neighbour who went to their rescue was shot three times in his stomach and shoulder resulting to his death after a strong struggle in Mata hospital where he had been admitted in the ICU ward leaving the family burdened with a heavy hospital bill," said Chief Kioko.
Kioko explained that those were not the only cases but that there were others which left the villagers counting losses, others injured and others highly traumatised. The villagers therefore called upon the county government and the police to intervene and promote security in the village since the crime cases are happening very frequently. The owners of the 18 homes which have been robbed in the area so far claim that the robbers are similar and are from a specific gang.
"We are terrified and some of us have started to shift from the homesteads they have established using millions of shillings and are now are moving to towns because the gangsters are targeting well off families. It is dangerous to walk or even drive home after work even as early as 6.30pm," said one of the villagers named Elizabeth Ndeti.