Boda boda riders have often been accused of perpetrating crime especially in counties like Nairobi and Mombasa as most criminals terrorize their fellow innocent Kenyans and use boda bodas to escape.
Jabes Ouma, a boda boda rider was last night killed by robbers near Rodi Kopany market along Rongo road in Homa Bay county. The 30-year old rider was shot on the head by the thugs at Kalanya Kanyango area.
Ouma had carried two passengers from Rodi Kopany market to Homa Bay town at around 10 pm. Unfortunately, the two passengers turned out to be robbers and ordered him to stop before robbing him and killing him.
Area Chief Fredrick Onyango said residents heard gunshots at night and rushed to the scene where they found Ouma lying in a pool of blood.
“The rider was rushed to Homa Bay county referral hospital by a good Samaritan. He later died while undergoing medication,” Onyango said.
Just this past week, residents of Rodi Kopany decried increase of insecurity saying that there was an unknown gang was terrorizing them at night. They claimed the gang operates from 8 pm when most business people have closed.
“Most of them are armed with crude weapons. They steal from shops and rob our properties,” said one of the residents of the area.
The incident in Homa Bay County comes barely a week after Kisumu County Commissioner Pauline Dola issued a shoot to kill order for armed gangs mostly riding on motorcycles.
Dola declared that a sting operation would be launched to wipe out the organised gangs that have spiralled out of control.
“We know there have been insecurity concerns caused largely by the return of organized crime. We know of armed motorcycle gangs which have been disrupting peace and robbing residents at gunpoint, especially in Milimani. We want to say that your days are numbered and we are going to get rid of you,” she said.
There has been an increase in the number of gangs terrorizing people across the country especially as we approach the festive season. What do you think can be done to curb crime and do you support shoot to kill orders?