Thugs attack three villages, injure 125

By Robert Wanyonyi

 Bungoma, Kenya: Armed thugs unleashed terror in three villages in Bungoma County leaving 125 people injured.

The gangsters numbering about 40 attacked Kibabii, Kikwechi and Mukwa villages shortly after midnight on Monday.

Those who were injured are admitted at Bungoma District Hospital hospital and told of how they were attacked by the gangsters whom they claimed did strange acts like suckling women’s breasts.

 Victims said the gangsters used machetes, bows and arrows and other crude weapons also sprayed acid on anyone who dared look at them.

One man was rushed to Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital in Eldoret after he was forced to drink the acid before his eyes were gored out.

“While they attacked us, they also pretended to raise alarm and calling for help causing confusion” a victim told The Standard at the Bungoma District Hospital.

 He added that police officers from the nearby Kibabii Administration Police Camp who were alerted of the attack arrived about an hour later but did not make any arrest.

 However the gang was not lucky as two of them were lynched by the public as they attempted to raid a fourth village. Another one was arrested while the rest escaped.

Bungoma Senator Moses Wetangula visited the injured in hospital and condemned the attack.

Wetangula wondered how thugs could attack and injure hundreds of people without the police responding.

He called for a total overhaul of the security team in the County adding that the group seems to be very organized while executing the attacks that have also been carried out systematically in Kimalewa, Kuywa, Kapkateny and Makutano villages in the past two weeks.

Bungoma Hospital nurses had a rough time handling the high number of victims.

 A nurse said that they have only managed to administer First-Aid to majority of the victims adding that the health institution has insufficient drugs to handle the situation.

Wetangula donated Sh100,000 to the hospital’s administration to buy emergency drugs and transfer some patients to Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital.

 Bungoma South OCPD Amos Cheboi said police were pursuing the thugs.