Angry residents of Kaptega village in Endebess, Trans Nzoia County on Tuesday night roughed up a middle-aged man, who entered into one of the residential houses and tried to rob the husband and wife at gunpoint.
Evelyne Barasa told K24 Digital that the armed man forced himself into their house at night and demanded Ksh200,000 from them.
She said that the man, who had an AK-47 rifle, told her to not raise alarm and threatened her to hand over the money they had in their house.
“Shortly after leaving our bedroom, I received an unexpected guest who silenced and pointed a gun at my forehead. I knelt down and pleaded with him to spare me,” Barasa narrated.
The woman, who is a casual labourer at Mt. Elgon Orchards, said on hearing her husband make some steps in the bedroom, she gained courage and grabbed his knees, where the man fell down.
“After overpowering him, I called for help from our neighbours who came and rescued us,” she added.
Eunice Simiyu a village elder reported that on interrogation, the man who had covered his face said that he had been sent there by some unidentified National Police Reservists.
“When we arrived at the scene, we dealt with the man, later he told us that he was working in collaboration with some KPR officers,” Simiyu said.
The suspect was later arrested and is assisting the police in investigations.
Endebess Sub-County Police Commander Salesio Njiru dismissed claims that the suspect was a National Police Reservist.
“It is not true that the suspect is a police reservist. However, we’re doing investigations to determine who the guy is and how he got the rifle,” Njiru said.
The area residents called on the government to enhance security patrols at night so that suspected criminals are arrested and brought to book.
“We are worried about the rising cases of insecurity in our area, we are really concerned, the government should intervene,” one resident said.
Cases of robbery with violence have gone up in Trans Nzoia County, where armed robbers break into people’s houses and businesses and walk away with the money.
From early this year, over six people have been murdered by armed robbers in the county.
