Mystery of Kirinyaga police station without officers since 2018

Residents of the Muragara shopping centre in Ndia constituency, Kirinyaga County, have been waiting for police officers since 2018 after they were transferred.

The locals say they have since been seeking services from Kabonge police station in Ndia and Kagumo police station in Kirinyaga Central, which are far from their areas.

They said this is despite increased cases of insecurity in Muragara and surrounding areas and asked the government to re-deploy police officers.

“We wonder why the government transferred and failed to re-deploy police officers despite insecurity in Muragara,” Rosemary Nyawira said.

A local official who requested anonymity said the Muragara police post's land was bought in  2008 by an MP before it was constructed by the Constituency Development Fund (NG-CDF) and police officers were deployed.

He also said in 2018, after the government announced a new structure that saw the Kenya Police Service and Administration Police integrated into one unit, the officers from the Muragra police post were transferred.

“The police post was constructed, and officers deployed here when a gang of outlawed Mungiki gang members were causing trouble in this place,” the official said.

Now, Nyawira said they are living in fear over insecurity because thugs from the neighbouring constituencies are taking advantage of the situation.

“We are spending nights guarding our livestock. We want the government to intervene,” added Simon Waweru, another resident.

The former Kirinyaga West Sub-county police commander, Moses Koskei, who has since been transferred to Malindi, confirmed that the post, which is well-painted and fenced by Ndia CDF, had been without officers.