By Obegi Malack
Police in Kajiado North have made significant progress in addressing rising insecurity in the region after arresting several suspects believed to be members of an armed criminal gang that has been terrorizing residents in Ongata Rongai, Kiserian, and Ngong’.
The operation began early this month where the police apprehended a suspect at a residential property in Kiserian Township. The raid on the premises led to the recovery of an AK-47 rifle loaded with ammunition, a walkie-talkie, multiple mobile phones, a tear gas canister, and various house-breaking tools.
According to police sources, part of the gang was arrested following a shootout in the Rimpa area of Rongai Division, where an AK-47 rifle was also recovered. There have been multiple reports of robbery and insecurity in the area.
Kajiado County Commander Alex Shikondi has confirmed the arrest of a gang that has been terrorizing local residents.
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He noted that the suspects should now serve as an example, encouraging the community to support efforts to enhance security in the region.
The officer assured the public that security patrols will be intensified to curb criminal activities in the area.
“This is the same gang that has been attacking residents, stealing from them, and even transferring money from their accounts,” he said.
The insecurity incidents happen even after Cabinet Secretary for the Ministry of Interior and National Administration Onesimus Kipchumba Murkomen held Jukwaa la Usalama, Kajiado County Chapter forums in Kajiado town.
The forums are engagement meetings to take in the input of people from the bottom and use it to shape the management of our security sector.
In Kiserian, two women who were traders in the town were murdered within a span of one week.
In one case, a woman identified as 47-year-old Naomi Wambui was found murdered in her house. Her body was discovered in the sitting room, partially burnt. According to the family, the deceased may have been killed and then set on fire. Neighbors who noticed the fire at her residence along University Way, off Kiserian–Isinya Road, rushed to put it out and discovered the body.
Naomi Wambui was a shoe seller in Kiserian and leaves behind a 21-year-old son.
In a separate incident, another woman was murdered in Ngano Estate, Kiserian, on September 8th. She was identified as Divinah Okari, a mother of four.
A postmortem conducted at Ngong Funeral Home revealed that she was killed in her house. Preliminary investigations also indicated that she was raped before being murdered, and her body had been in the house for two days before it was discovered.
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Stephen Moshi, the Chief of Olkeri Location, recently issued a public alert about a gang of 5 to 7 men reportedly ambushing unsuspecting motorists at their gates, especially in Kiserian and Ong’ata Rongai.
“Residents are advised to remain extremely vigilant. Several robberies have occurred in Kiserian and Rongai, where gangs wait for residents as they enter their homes, then proceed to kidnap and rob them inside their houses,” Chief Moshi warned.
He urged residents to be especially cautious between 7:00 p.m. and 10:00 p.m., and to alert family members in advance when arriving home.
Incidents of insecurity, including carjackings, have also been reported across the sub-county of Kajiado North. In one recent case on August 20, a car was stolen from an online taxi driver in the Laiser Hill area of Rongai at around 10:00 p.m. The vehicle was later recovered by police, although the suspects escaped. The case gained attention after it was widely shared on social media.
One resident, Karol Tunduli, posted online: “The beautiful Rongai is now a crime scene. A cop told me that over 1,000 cases were reported in a month. A place I once considered safe, Laiser Hill near Reeds Hotel, was the scene of a carjacking at 10 p.m. A man lost his car at gunpoint, just like that.”
In another incident, a Ngong resident was violently thrown out of his car by criminals posing as passengers. The criminals had led him to Olkeri where they dropped him out and disappeared with his car .The vehicle was later found abandoned in Rongai.
Motorcycle riders have also been targeted. On August 18, a rider reported being attacked at his home along Kiserian–Ngong Road by robbers armed with crude weapons. His motorbike was stolen during the incident.
In addition to targeting motorists, the gang has been stealing water infrastructure. Numerous residents have reported the theft of water pumps and meters.
Gataka Road section between Gataka and Embulbul has been identified as a criminals hotspot, several incidents of robbery have been recorded in the area,the criminals have been taking advantage of the forest to steal from motorists including pedestrians.
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In a separate operation in August, Rongai police conducted a successful raid in Kware Township, Ongata Rongai, arresting six suspects and recovering several stolen items, including water meters, a solar panel, a Wi-Fi router, an INGCO industrial welding machine, a Total-brand water pump, and other valuables.
In another disturbing incident, Pastor Maurice Evelia and members of his congregation were attacked during a community outreach walk in Kware. The group was ambushed at around 7:00 p.m., and the attackers made away with phones and cash.
In Kiserian a gang raided a home in Kahuho village in the area and held a family hostage for hours as they robbed them. Witnesses said one of the six men wore military fatigue and three of them were armed with AK47 rifles.
The gang held eight family members hostage before robbing them of three laptops, transferred Sh12,000 from stolen mobile phones, Sh200,000 in cash and assorted electronic goods.
The suspects fired one round of ammunition which hit and cracked the floor tiles to scare the family. They picked up the used cartridge and left with it.
Resident now want the police to up their game in dealing with insecurity cases, Joseph Kuria said the police have resources to deal with the cases.
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“We have CCTVs everywhere which the police should be relying on to arrest the criminals, they should embrace new technology,” he said.
He noted that the cosmopolitan towns are recording improved infrastructure and that should be followed by improved security.
Authorities continue to urge residents to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activity to law enforcement as operations to dismantle the gang continue.
