Authorities have intensified a search for 10 men involved in a robbery in Nyamira County that left scores injured and property of unknown value stolen.
According to a statement from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) on Thursday, the victims included a female MCA and a minister from Nyamira County. The gang also targeted a school principal and a Kenya Prisons officer during the incident that took place on Monday, October 23 at a homestead in Keroka’s Kierira village.
“In the abominable incident that involved the attack of over 13 victims found within the homestead, assorted mobile phones, over Sh130,000 in cash, and more hundreds of thousands withdrawn from ATM banks were stolen,” said the DCI.
The gang staged a 7-hour siege from 9pm to 4am violently robbing, gang-raping and gang-defiling some of the victims.
“In the report booked at Keroka Police Station in Masaba North, Nyamira County, a female nominated MCA, a Principal at a local high school, a CEC in Nyamira County Govt, a Kenya Prisons officer, and a nurse at Nyamira County Hospital fell victim. Other victims included an 80-year-old woman, a college and a high school student,” said authorities.
After subduing the victims with beatings and death threats, members of the gang who were armed with a pistol, machetes and other crude weapons forced themselves into three of the women in turns, before escaping with their loot.
Upon receiving the information, all security agencies in the county were mobilized, and investigations commenced on October 24. The victims received medical attention at various hospitals in the county, and samples were collected from the sexually abused victims.
With the support of crime research detectives and crime scene support teams processing the scene for crucial leads, the investigative team the investigating team placed a suspected ring leader at the scene. They subsequently tracked him down in Kondele, Kisumu County.
The suspect, Joseph Otieno Kevuva was escorted to Nyamira County HQS where an identification parade was conducted. The victims positively identified him before detectives made a miscellaneous application to detain him for interrogation.
“Further investigations are ongoing to bring the entire gang to book. #FichuakwaDCI. Call 0800 722 203 to report anonymously. Usiogope,” urged the DCI.
