Angata Barikoi killings: Deputy County Commissioner, top police bosses transferred

The other officer is a Mr Too, a Directorate of Criminal Investigations Officer (DCIO) in the area.

This is according to the Inspector General of Police, Douglas Kanja, who addressed a tense security meeting in the area on Tuesday.

“That DCIO (Mr Too) must be removed from here. Let him be taken to the headquarters so that another one who can serve the people can come,” said Mr Kanja.

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Also, he commanded that the General Service Unit (GSU) officers in the area leave immediately.

Deadly shooting

The security meeting and the orders followed a bloody incident on Monday where six locals, including a six-year-old child, were felled by bullets reportedly fired by officers from the GSU.

The violence reportedly erupted after a convoy of the GSU officers led by Mr Jubat and officials from the Ministry of Lands stubbornly attempted to begin land adjudication process in the Moyoi Adjudication Section.

“Anyone who has been mentioned for having committed a criminal offense must carry their own cross,” said the IG.

Further, he used the forum to convey his condolences to the grieving families, saying that he would be back to stand with them during burial.

“From deep down my heart, pole sana (sorry) for the lives lost. I will stand with you and even help with the burial process,” said Mr Kanja.

He called on the locals to embrace peace even as investigations commence to ensure that culprits are brought to book.

“I have listened to you and your leaders. Investigations have commenced and the Independent Police Oversight Authority (IPOA) is already here to investigate any police who has operated contrary to the law. Any such officer will carry their own cross,” he said.

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Tension was high at the preliminary stages of the security meeting when Mr Kanja, the Director of Criminal Investigations (DCIO) Mohammed Amin and other leaders, who arrived in a chopper, but could not address the locals.

The locals demanded that they could only address them if Emurua Dikirr MP Johanna Ng’eno was part of the meeting.

A chopper was dispatched to search for him (Mr Ng’eno) and luckily came back with him on board.

Addressing the leaders, Bismark Cheruiyot, a local, reiterated that the land in question belongs to them and that the security officials in the area are shielding land grabbers against their property rights.

“The Angata people have lived here for the last 71 years. The land in question is within Angata. There is a sugar factory which is built here to swallow the land of Angata. We want to know the owner of the factory and have it relocated immediately,” said Mr Cheruiyot.

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He claimed that the GSU officers in the area have not helped them with any form of security, as criminals have in the past slashed maize farms, stolen cows and killed people without their intervention.

“He calls himself an Al-Shabaab. He said that by himself!” Mr Cheruiyot told the security officials from Nairobi.

He explained that Mr Jubat arrived with a team of GSU and land officials and found the locals barricading the road, hoping to be addressed by him (Mr Jubat) but they “sprayed bullets on people”.

Another resident, John Kirui, castigated the government for allegedly keeping them in perpetual conflict by issuing title deeds to land grabbers through corrupt methods.

“Why is the government making two different title deeds for the same piece of land? If not us, who will you lead as gthe overnment? If you kill all of us, who will you govern?” posed Mr Kirui.