Kakamega: Locals Raise Concerns over Police Post Staffed by Only One Officer as Insecurity Rises
- A police post is supposed to ensure the area where it is located is safe, but that’s not the case for a village in Ikolomani sub-county
- Locals in the area claim that while they have a police post, there is only one officer who is overwhelmed
- They have demanded deployment of more police officers to enhance security, even as the area police boss dismisses their claims
Kakamega: Residents of Imulama village in Ikolomani sub-county have expressed concerns over a police post in the area being manned by only one police officer.
Source: Getty Images
According to the locals, despite the existence of the police post, there has been a rise in criminal cases in the area.
The locals claim the only officer at the post has been overwhelmed by the growing number of criminals.
Search option is now available at TUKO! Feel free to search the content on topics/people you enjoy reading about in the top right corner ;)
Kakamega police post with only one officer
They noted a recent incident where a teacher was brutally murdered a few kilometres from the police post.
The locals are now demanding that more police officers be deployed to the police post as part of the government’s efforts to address security issues.
"We, the residents of Imulama and Shimanyiro, demand more security personnel to be brought to this police post because we are living in fear. How can a whole police post have one officer, yet the government has the ability to deploy more?” said Derrick Okwomu, one of the locals.
Similar sentiments were shared by boda boda operators at Matietie junction who narrated how the criminals have turned the area into a playing ground.
One of the operators, Josephat Litu, said due to high insecurity in the area, they cannot work beyond 7.00 pm.
Source: Original
Litu noted that the only officer at the police post cannot handle the numerous cases often reported by the locals.
"Insecurity in this area is increasing daily. As a boda boda guy, I cannot work beyond 7 pm because my motorbike will be taken away by thieves. We can’t report such cases because the only officer we have is already overwhelmed,” he noted.
Due to the current situation, some of the locals prefer reporting their concerns to Shimanyiro Police Station, which is approximately twenty kilometres away.
Is insecurity high in Kakamega?
Kakamega South sub-county police commander Masai Makau, however, dismissed locals' claims that the police post had only one officer. He also noted that his office has not received any complaints from the locals over the issue or concerns about insecurity.
Makau, however, promised to look into the issue and deploy more officers if there is such a need.
"So far, I have not received any complaints from the public over insecurities in Imulama or records showing one police officer at the post. However, we will assess the situation so that more officers can be deployed to serve members of the public,” the police boss said.
Murkomen issues new firearm use directives to police
Previously, TUKO.co.ke reported that Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen had issued a new directive on police use of firearms.
The new directives detailed circumstances under which a police officer could use his/her firearm and to what extent.
It follows backlash that Murkomen's earlier shoot-to-kill order received from Kenyans and civil society organisations.
Proofreading by Asher Omondi, copy editor at TUKO.co.ke.
Source: TUKO.co.ke
Joshua Cheloti (Editorial assistant) Joshua Cheloti is a multi-skilled journalist with over 5 years of experience in the media industry. He holds a Diploma in Journalism and Mass Communication and is pursuing a Bachelor of Arts in Mass Media and Communication at Mount Kenya University. At TUKO, he's an editorial assistant. Before TUKO, he worked at Nairobi Review as an editorial writer, at Hope Media (Hope TV and Hope FM) as a correspondent in Eldoret, Hivisasa.com digital content editor and online writer, at Biblia Husema Broadcasting (BHB), Eldoret as Radio Presenter. Email: Joshua.cheloti@tuko.co.ke
Rasto Wamalwa Rasto Wamalwa is a political and current affairs journalist with over five years of experience in broadcast and print media. I have worked in various radio stations such as Bk Radio, Mitume Fm, Khendo Fm and Radio Matumaini. I also served as a news correspondent at The Kenya Times, Countysplash newspaper and Shahidi online news. I am based in Kakamega county.
