Residents of Kisumu say fear has become part of daily life after two weeks of violent robberies, Citizen Digital reported. A video that went viral on Wednesday shows armed men trying to vandalise a lorry. They fled after the person inside screamed for help.
The screams brought neighbours out, and some filmed the attack. The gang threatened those recording before retreating, according to Citizen Digital.
The violence has been escalating. On Saturday, armed robbers attacked and killed a middle-aged man in Ahero. By Tuesday, two more people had been injured in a machete attack in Migosi Estate. Several shops have also been broken into, and business owners are counting their losses.
Two days before the lorry incident, residents made a citizen's arrest of a man caught breaking into a shop. Frank Wasonga, a Lolwe resident, said a neighbour phoned him about the attempted break-in. Moses Muswa, who lives in Migosi, said another person had been attacked in the area. He added that the suspects caught on CCTV appeared to be young men.
Traders want more police on the streets. Clarence Misiani, a trader in Lolwe, called for more security patrols, especially at night. He said business owners were losing their investments to criminals.
Kisumu County Commissioner Ramadhan Mwabudzo said security agencies would step up operations. "We will conduct raids from next week until December, so anyone who intends to steal or endanger people's lives should be warned and become a responsible citizen," he said.