Police in Lamu County have issued a stern warning to criminal gangs targeting and murdering Nyumba Kumi officials in the region.
This comes days after the gruesome murder of Fredrick Ngugi, a Nyumba Kumi official in Malamande village in Hindi, Lamu West.
Ngugi died of a single gunshot wound to the head after his home was invaded by unknown people while he slept at night.
His property was also destroyed and his home was torched.
Speaking on Tuesday, acting Lamu county commissioner Charles Kitheka said the government would not relent in the search for Ngugi’s killers till they are found and brought to justice.
He warned against the continued targeting and subsequent attacks on Nyuma Kumi officials in the county and said the perpetrators, once found, would be used to set an example to other like-minded individuals.
“It’s so sad that we have lost Ngugi. Our police are already on the investigation. We must fish them out and ensure they are brought to book,” Kitheka said.
The incident caused widespread fear and tension in the village and beyond, with locals wondering who could be behind the killing.
Residents have appealed for increased night patrols by police in their areas.
“If unknown people can walk into somebody’s home, shoot him in the head and vanish without a trace, what about the rest of us? Where are the police? We want them out here and also let them increase patrols, especially at night, “Joseph Ngugi of Hindi Town said.
This is not the first incident where a Nyumba Kumi official was killed in Lamu.
In April 2019, another official, 30-year-old Amina Bakari was attacked and her head slashed off by a gang that accosted her as she closed her shop at around 11 pm in Mbwajumwali village in Lamu East.