Six people were on Monday, arrested following an operation to rid off Keumbu thugs.
Those the operation targeted were mainly people said to be coordinating the theft of motorbikes in the area.
Addressing bodaboda operators on Friday at Keumbu, Keumbu senior chief Jonathan Machoka said most of the suspects hail from outside his area of jurisdiction.
Mr Machoka said the suspects were named by their colleagues after a motorbike was stolen on last week, whereby he said whoever will be found culpable will be charged to curb theft that is slowly gaining strength in the area.
“There has been theft of motorbikes in my area in the recent past. The latest incident is where a group of unknown gang attacked a bodaboda operator at Nyaturubo and disappeared with his motorbike. However, it has emerged that among the six suspects named by their colleagues, only two are from my location," Mr Machoka said.
He added: “We are interrogating them to know who exactly, is behind the criminal activities sprouting in my area. I will not tolerate this kind of behavior.”
Chief Machoka said they are also investigating the suspects’ mobile phones to know the nature of their past calls.
He asked bodaboda operators in the area to be cautious and know who they are operating with including the customers they are transporting to avoid falling prey: "Know who you are operating with because robbers are amongst you."
"Assist us with information to arrest these people because they are not the right people in the society. However, I warn those engaged in the illegal business that your days are short. You should abandon the wrongs and do what can transform your life to good,” reiterated the administrative officer.
Speaking in the same forum of naming the suspects through a secret ballot, an event that took place in Keumbu Social Hall, the chairman for the Keumbu bodaboda operators, Jared Onchari announced that bodaboda business would not go past 9pm saying most of the robbery incidents take place at night.
He said a team of 12 people had been identified to carry out a night patrol and arrest any suspect in connection to criminal activities in the area.
However, he told those who would want to operate past 9pm to register at the stage, Keumbu, before continuing with their business.
"Criminals do not come from outside, they are with us here. The only way we can solve the problem of insecurity and robbery is through barring night business. These criminal gangs take advantage of darkness to attack and rob us. This is the business we depend to support our families and therefore we will not allow few people to spoil the industry,” he said.
The victim of the robbery incident that took place on last week, Fred Mogaka said a customer who had hired his service from Keumbu stage turned against him at Nyaturubo, a few kilometers away from Keumbu.
Mogaka, said the customer, a middle aged man ordered him to halt with threats of attack and before he stopped several other people emerged from the nearby bush and descended on him. They left him for death, he says.
“I carried a customer from Keumbu stage at about 10pm but turned against me when we were approaching Nyaturubo. He ordered me to stop or he would kill me. As sooner as he was saying those words other people, but I dint see how many, hit me with a blunt object before pulling me to a roadside bush. The left me there thinking they had killed me,” he narrated.
He continued as tears rolled down his cheeks: “When I gained conscious, I traced the road and walked to Keumbu where I reported the incident at the police station and then headed to Keumbu Hospital for treatment.”
Neither has the motorbike been found nor has anybody been arrested in connection to the incident.