Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) officials in Nyando have condemned the killing in cold blood of one of their members, a primary school teacher who was fatally attacked by suspected robbers near the Ahero interchange in Kisumu County.
Led by branch executive secretary Ephraim Kanang'a, the officials said all those responsible for the heinous crime must be brought to book.
Kanang'a said it was sad that an innocent teacher who was going about his duties had been killed most brutally.
The victim, Justus Abongo Agai, taught at Kagimba Primary School and operated two M-Pesa businesses in the Ahero interchange area. He was attacked last Saturday night at Kochogo North Sub-location, Nyando Sub-County.
According to police, the attack happened at about 9:30pm as Agai was riding a motorcycle on his way home. Preliminary reports indicate that the assailants blocked his path before striking him on the head with a blunt object.
The attackers reportedly fled with his bag, which contained personal belongings and an undisclosed amount of cash.
His body was later found lying in a pool of blood on a murram road about one kilometre from the Ahero-Katito road. It was taken to the Ahero County Hospital mortuary, where it is being preserved pending a postmortem examination.
The robbery with violence was reported by the Kochogo North Sub-Location Assistant Chief, Yvonne Awuor Odhiambo. The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) has launched investigations.
The incident comes amid growing reports of violent crime, armed robberies and targeted attacks across Kisumu County.
Human rights defenders in Kisumu have also asked the police to speed up investigations and bring the suspects to book.
Led by Audi Ogada of the Kisumu City Residents Voice, they want the DCI to investigate the killing thoroughly. Agai was murdered while going home from his business premises near the Ahero interchange in Nyando Constituency.
Speaking to the press in Kisumu, Ogada said insecurity has risen in most parts of Kisumu County, with several people killed under unclear circumstances.
He said the teacher's case should be treated with the urgency it deserves and the motive behind the murder established, adding that the suspects must be brought to book as quickly as possible. He said the killing has confirmed that insecurity in Kisumu County and its environs has escalated to a great level, and that state security agencies must now act to restore public confidence.
Ogada said he has sent several petitions to the Inspector General of Police and the Ministry of Interior asking them to intervene over insecurity in the county, but no action has been taken. He said the entire security leadership in Kisumu County, including officers at Ahero Police Station, should be removed to help restore the confidence of the public they serve.
The killing has shocked residents of Nyando Constituency. Some want the insecurity at the Ahero interchange and its surroundings to be addressed urgently.
The residents have appealed to the Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA) to install security lights along the interchange to improve visibility, especially at night. They said the area is pitch dark as soon as night falls, and that suspected criminals take advantage of the darkness to rob people as early as 7 pm.
Similar incidents have been reported in parts of Muhoroni, Nyando and Kisumu Central sub-counties in recent weeks, raising concerns about public safety.
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