INSECURITY IN KISUMU AS RUTHLESS GANGS TAKE OVER TOWN

Residents of Kisumu town through the Kisumu City Residents Voice chairman Audi Ogada has written a letter to Inspector General of Police David Kimayio demanding that he acts fast to address the problem of insecurity in Kisumu town.

In a letter dated August 2014 Ogada is now demanding that the IG conducts an elaborate investigation on the conduct of police officers alleged to be colluding with criminals through provision of guns and uniforms.

Another contentious issue is the mysterious escape of hardcore criminals from the Kisumu Central Police Station, the common extra-judicial killing of suspects who have already surrendered to the police and the role of police officers who have overstayed in a given station for more than six years is causing suspicion among members of the public that such officers are responsible for high rate of insecurity.

It is also claimed that the police bond (cash bail) is being used as a bargaining tool by police officers charged with the responsibility of handling such issues and the department of mobile phone tracking in the police service is replete with shoddy deals.

This is where very innocent people are being extorted of their money as they become victims for no apparent reason. The phones are being sold by agents/brokers who are well known by police officers to the public.

More interestingly, the police officers have their designated areas where electronic goods receipts are printed and using these to conceal evidences whenever an arrest is made and electronics are confiscated after taking bribes from the owners, to take to their bosses for release of the same. 

The current trend of killing young employees of M-Pesa agents in Kisumu is causing panic and anxiety as much as no arrests have been made so far.

Kisumu residents are now insisting for the immediate disbandment of the flying squad department on the ground of lack of public trust and negative perception, getting rid of all lax and corrupt officers, the officer commanding station must take charge of his/her duties to control and monitor officers under him/her including assigning of duties.