Residents of Gongoni, in Magarini constituency in Kilifi, have protested the deteriorating security in the area following a shooting incident on Monday night where two people were shot and injured by unknown assailants.
The two victims are an M-Pesa shop owner and a motorcycle operator carrying him. They survived the attack but sustained serious injuries.
James Kitsao, the M-Pesa shop operator, had closed his shop and headed home onboard a boda boda.
The assailants ambushed them on their way, shot at them, and fled with a bag containing an unknown amount of money.
The angry residents barricaded the Malindi-Lamu road by lighting tyres.
“They were attacked a few meters from Gongoni police station but the police officers did nothing. This shows how deteriorated the security status is in our subcounty,” Kitsao said.
The two victims were rushed to the nearby Kijanaheri private hospital for emergency care before being transferred to Malindi sub-county hospital for further treatment due to the severity of their condition.
The residents are now calling on the national government through the Ministry of Interior to immediately transfer the police officers serving in the area, claiming that they have failed to control the increasing incidents of insecurity, thus endangering the lives of residents.
Margaret Katana said last week residents apprehended a suspect who was stealing from a shop in the area and took him to the Gongoni police station but he was released under unclear circumstances.
“We are being frustrated and this is eroding the confidence we had in the police officers serving at the station. We have been left to deal with criminals on our own,” she said.
The protests that lasted about an hour disrupted transport on Lamu road. Trucks carrying sand and unprocessed salt from the area were delayed.
