Gang masquerading as traffic police erects roadblocks, robs motorists

A gang masquerading as police officers has taken control of roads in Bumala, Busia County, where they rob unsuspecting motorists.

The gang comprising of youths, erects a roadblock similar to the one used by traffic police officers and wear police uniforms before they order motorists and pedestrians to stop for inspection and rob them of valuables and money.

On Sunday, Kelvin Asavi, a driver of a matatu plying from Busia to Kakamega town, was flagged down by the gang as he approached Bumala market and he complied.

“I was told to stop for inspection by the police officers and I complied. I did not know they were a gang masquerading as traffic police officers,” said Asavi.

He said after the bogus traffic police officers completed the inspection, he was ordered to get out of the vehicle and that was when the gang started stealing from passengers.

“They ordered passengers to surrender all of their belongings and those who resisted were bundled out of the vehicle and robbed off their valuables before fleeing off,” said Asavi.

On Friday, John Okumu who was on his motorcycle heading home from Matungu constituency in Kakamega lost his phone, Sh2000 and foodstuff after he was ordered to stop at Bumala market by the gang at around 10:30 pm.

“For the last one month, residents and road users have been complaining of a gang purporting to be traffic police officers stealing from them and on Friday while on my way home. I was stopped by the same gang claiming to be police officers and having erected a roadblock at Bumala market, they ordered me to give up everything I had and I gave them just to save my life,” said Okumu.

“They told me to proceed home with my motorbike since I had cooperated and I left unharmed,” he added.

Residents and road users said it is becoming difficult to operate at night and early in the morning for the fear of being mugged.

“It is also becoming impossible for people to use the Busia-Kisumu, especially at Bumala, because the gang is operating with impunity and yet we have police officers in Busia. We are witnessing a security lapse in Busia. How are police officers allowing people to wear police uniforms, erect a roadblock and be armed with crude weapons to terrorise people?” Posed Marting Nyangweso.

Butula Sub-county police commander Harman Ambaka condemned the incident saying that police officers have launched a manhunt for the gang and urged parents to advise their children to stay away from crime.

“It is so shameful that we have young people erecting roadblocks on our roads to terrorise our people and steal from them. This is unacceptable and as police officers, we have launched investigations and we are going to arrest the culprits. I want to urge parents to advise their children not to engage in such criminal activities,” said Ambaka.

Western Regional Commissioner Irungu Macharia blamed security officials from Busia for laxity, promising swift action.

“I have the information on my desk that people are mounting roadblocks on our roads to steal from people purporting to be traffic police officers. I want to acknowledge that we are having security laxity, especially from our wing of the Directorate of Criminal Investigation and I want to assure our people that we are going to put to an end such criminal act,” said Macharia.

Irungu said that there are also cases where people are closing roads using ropes to extort money from people going to funerals at night, an act he promised to deal with.

Last week, a Kakamega court granted police officers seven days to detain 10 people for allegedly running a fake police cell in Makaburini estate.