A couple from Sipande village in Mautuma location, Lugari Sub County are nursing serious injuries after a gang of criminals invaded their compound and attacked them in the wee hours of Wednesday night.
Speaking to West Media Mrs. Ruth Musenjeli, narrated how the armed gang numbering five, raided their home at about 12:15 am, where they assaulted her and her husband
Musenjeli Mwangale.
She said the gang gained entry into the house after breaking the bedroom window. “I have two sick children here and I woke up at midnight to give them some tablets but immediately I switched off the seating room lights I heard a huge bang from the bedroom followed by screams. I entered the room to establish what had happened and I met an armed man who pushed to the ground and started beating me with a blunt object,” said Mrs. Musenjli.
She said she wrestled with the man and almost overpowered him before the two other thugs came to his aid and carried her to where her husband was as they continued assaulting them threatening to kill her husband.
She said she tried to scream for help but her voice couldn’t reach far to attract the attention of the neighbours adding that the thugs who didn’t steal anything from them only left after her husband laid unconscious on the ground thinking they had killed him. “I got the chance to call for help after they had left,” she said.
Her husband who was cut by a machete three times on the head, and sustained other injuries on the hands and legs, was rushed to Lumakanda sub county hospital where he received First Aid before being transferred to Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital in Eldoret where he is admitted in critical condition.
According to Mrs. Musenjeli this was the second time they were attacked, saying the first time the thugs attacked them was on 15th July 2016 at about 10pm in the night, and meted the same brutality on her husband leaving him in a coma where he stayed in Intensive care unit (ICU) at Moi Teaching and Referral hospital Eldoret for 29 days before gaining consciousness.
However she said she has never established the motive of the gang which wants to kill her husband. “I suspect the gang has an ill motive against my husband,” she said
Mautuma residents, led by their MCA Stephen Mulonga have strongly condemned the ugly incident, blaming the same on security lapses.
They accused police for failing to respond quickly to their distress call saying despite informing them of the incident about 12:30am, the first police officer arrived at the scene at 9:41am.
“The best they can do is to arrest brewers and drunkards for they don’t hesitate to reach the brewing dens when called upon but when it comes to thugs they take more than 10 hours to reach the scene,” said Mr. Moses Wanyama Wabuge.
They also blamed some officers for colluding with criminals arguing during the first attack on Mr. Musenjeli in 2016, two suspects were arrested with the help of the locals and area chief Pamela Kulali and handed to administration police officers at Panpaper where the
officers later alleged the suspects had escaped from the cell.
The newly posted area OCPD Benedict Mwangangi who is barely two weeks old in the area visited the scene and assured residents a thorough investigation will be carried out and culprits will be brought to book. He also assured them their security will be catered for.