Siaya county security team today accused the residents of Bar Agulu sub location in Karemo division of frustrating efforts to nab perpetrators of a recent arson attack on several homes in the area by refusing to volunteer information to the police. Led by the County commissioner, Mohammed Barre and the county police commander, Michael Muchiri, the security team lamented that efforts to bring to book those who torched seven homes at Kanyibong’ and Agoro Lieye villages was almost hitting a snag as virtually everybody in the village feigns ignorance. Addressing a security baraza at the Karemo divisional headquarters, the county commissioner told the residents that the government will not entertain anybody who shields a criminal from facing the law. “Every village knows its criminals and Bar Agulu is no exception” said Barre who called on the locals to volunteer the names to security officials in confidence as he went ahead to issue them with pieces of paper to write down the names of the suspects and hand over to him.
Barre said the rising crime in the area cannot be tackled effectively so long as there was suspicion amongst members of the public and the security agents. He said lack of employment and other youth empowerment programs must not be used as an excuse to engage in crime, adding that police will not spare anybody found on the wrong side of the law. Addressing the occasion, Siaya county police commander, Michael Muchiri lamented that insecurity in the area had reached a point where no watchman wants to be deployed or employed to guard shops and property at the nearby Dond Koki trading centre, where several watchmen were butchered a few months ago. Muchiri however assured the residents that the trend will be reversed, adding that patrols within the trading center will be intensified. Earlier, the local residents expressed concern that the information they forward to the security agents have in the past leaked to the suspects hence putting their lives in jeopardy. A fortnight ago, unknown assailants stormed Kanyibong’ and Agoro Lieye villages in the dead of the night, setting ablaze seven homes. The incident, which found the families dead asleep, left the victims destitute as nothing was salvaged.