Matete Deputy County Commissioner (DCC), Mr. George Omollo, has issued a stern warning against looting from long distance vehicles along the busy Eldoret–Webuye highway.
Omollo made the caution when he addressed area residents during this year’s Jamhuri Day celebrations at Matete playground.
“It is regrettable to see locals, both young and adults, idling on major highway trading centres, waiting for road accidents involving heavy commercial vehicles to occur for them to loot,” remarked Omollo.
Omollo revealed criminal investigation reports had indicated that groups of thugs staying among the locals were responsible for the occurrence of several accidents involving the transit goods trucks.
“The law will soon catch up with thugs who stealthily board slow moving trucks before tampering with their braking systems,” warned Omollo, adding a large number of locals rush to accident scenes where they scramble to loot property worth millions of shillings.
The DCC, who is also the chairperson of the area security committee, revealed he had instructed area security organs to increase tight patrols along that section of the international highway.
“Whoever will be caught looting any vehicle will face full arm of the law,” he cautioned.
He advised the residents to focus on agricultural and livestock production as well as small enterprise business activities instead of wasting a lot of time loitering the highway market centres.
Omollo identified Mukhonje, Lwandet and Chimoi trading centres as the worst hit by the vice.
The DCC further banned gambling activity, blaming it for the increase in petty theft crime incidents in the area.
“Children as young as 15 years old are now participating in gambling,” observed Omollo who disclosed police officers had confiscated about 30 lotto machines used in betting.
The DCC also directed chiefs and their assistants to conduct regular crackdowns on illicit brew and drugs.
