Residents of Sugoi in Turbo have bemoaned increasing crime and insecurity in the area and hit out at police officers for working in cahoots with criminals.
The locals while reacting to Monday's murder of Daniel Birgen, 65, who until his death was a security guard at St John’s Sokyot Secondary School in Sugoi Location, called on the national government to make a reshuffle of police officers that have overstayed in the area to reverse the situation.
“We found the body of the security guard lying lifeless in one of the classrooms and both his hands and legs tied with a rope, they must have tortured him before killing him because there were also blood stains at the scene," said the school's head teacher Chrispinus Mukenye.
The deceased’s wife Susan Birgen said her husband just began working at the school early this month and had not even received his first salary.
“My husband had no option than to work as a security guard at the school so that he could get extra money to cater for the school fees of one of our children who studies in the same school. I have been left with seven children to provide for and I am appealing for support and urgent investigation and prosecution of the killers," she said amid sobs.
David Samoei, Senior Chief Sugoi location admitted that the security situation in the area had worsened in the last two years, revealing that a watchman to the neighbouring Sokyot Primary School had been brutally murdered and a school going teenager hacked to death within the same duration.
“It is unfortunate that Daniel who also chaired his area's Nyumba Kumi initiative died in such a brutal manner, police officers should take the blame for this trend because they have been sluggishly carrying themselves around whenever we alert them of criminal activities.
He said the police laxity had made thugs to ruthlessly and confidently break into learning institutions and individual's homes to commit their evil acts.
The Chief disclosed that on the fateful Monday night the same group of bandits suspected to have murdered Daniel had attempted gain access into Kapkong Secondary School a few metres from Sokyot Secondary school but left after the security guards alerted the teachers on duty.
A desktop computer, printing machine, a photocopying machine and Sh10,000 were stolen from the school after the night guard was killed.
“Some police officers, especially from the Administration Police department, are rogue and uncaring, every time I have questioned their attitude towards responding to crime alerts they have dismissed me saying they are only accountable to the national police service chairperson,” said the Chief.
John Kinjo, Turbo Deputy Sub-County Commissioner reiterated that insecurity was getting rampant in the area citing an incident where another security guard in Turbo Health Centre narrowly escaped death after he was accosted and hacked severally. He is still nursing injuries from the ordeal that took place three weeks ago.
“There is no space for lazy and corrupt officers here, we will investigate the serious allegations raised by the administration and public and security agents that will be found to be abetting crime will have it tough," Kinjo said.
Turbo MP Elisha Busienei issued the team investigating the murder a one-month ultimatum to unravel the rampant killings and crime in the area.
Gabriel Legoshere, Administration Police (AP) Inspector in the area assured the public that the perpetrators of crime in the area were on their radar and it will be a matter of little time before they are eliminated.