Kakamega Residents have been living in fear for the last one month because of criminal attacks. The government has intensified patrols and increased the number of security personnel in Matungu sub-county, Kakamega, to boost security.
According to police, the gang has killed eight people, and three of the suspects have since been killed by members of the public and two gunned down by security officers.
Kakamega County Commissioner Abdiruzak Jaldessa assured residents that security had been restored in the region following the arrest of five suspects believed to have been behind a recent spate of killings in the area. Jaldessa spoke in Matungu on Tuesday during a leaders, meeting on security matters.
Jaldessa warned area political leaders against luring youths using money to commit crimes. He said security officers, who had worked in one station for long, had been transferred and a new team deployed to seal any gaps in security operations.
He said political rivalry had been identified as one of the factors contributing to insecurity and investigations were being carried out to establish whether politicians were involved. The administrator banned funeral festivities, popularly known as disco matanga, with immediate effect.
He said that investigations had revealed that some of the killings were linked to night funeral activities. The latest attack occurred on May 3 when a 25-year-old woman and her daughter were killed.
The county commissioner asked residents to cooperate with police by giving information on the whereabouts of suspects so they could be apprehended. Matungu MP Justus Murunga asked security officers to intensify investigations, adding that a police station would be constructed at Matungu.