Webuye and Matulo residents still puzzled over Deputy Mayor Karandin killing

Written by Rosemary Wachiye

Residents of Matulo in maraca Village of Bungoma County many questions still surround them over the killing of their Deputy Mayor Timothy Karandin who was brutally shot by unknown gunmen.

Many say they have lost a leader, not just any leader but one of his own kind who would stand independent as long as he knew he was right no matter the consequences and where the crowd was moving.

Further, they say, “The deputy mayor always passed unopposed in the polls for the whole five years he has been in office.

Karandini Wekesa, a father of two with one wife was killed on 2^ndAugust 2011 at around 8.45 pm in his home when he had just arrived and was parking his car before two armed gangsters approached his car and shot the side of his car door and the bullet passed through and caught him on the leg just above the pelvic bone.

The postmortem results show that he suffered from severe internal bleeding which led to his death, the investigators at scene also noted that there was no external bleeding at all, basing on the lack of blood spots at the scene.

A dog was found dead at the banana plantation evidence that the dog was killed earlier before Mr. Karandini went back home to avoid the dog from barking to create suspicion at the compound.

The armed gunmen are alleged to have also arrived earlier at the home of the deceased and set a strategy of killing him.

The housemaid to the deceased disclosed that she had opened the gate for him then went back to the house leaving the door open as usual waiting fro the boss to enter but after a long wait and she didn’t see him she then heard a shot outside, that frightened her and the children of the deceased she then ran and closed the door and went with the children to the bed room in fear.

The wife of the deceased Mrs.Chistabel Karandini (centre). [Photos /Rosemary Wachiye /West Fm]

Then came another shooting which they suppose was the one that was targeted towards the deceased before the  voice of the deceased crying calling for help, the housemaid was still in fear so she went to the main door and shouted to the neighbors for help.

The neighbors then came though also in fear but since they didn’t have the means to take him to hospital. They resorted to call the police and the area chief.

The police took long to turn up at the scene and it forced them to go to the home of a bishop who owned a car who came to transport him to hospital.

After they were long gone in like an hour’s time is when the police men arrived in the home.

The deceased was first taken to Webuye District Hospital then to Lugulu Mission Hospital but he died before reaching the hospital.

Different reactions have been raised about his shooting and death, many blaming the police men for their slow response to crime and something that many a times leave the perpetrators to go scot free

Many say that if the police would have turned up on time they might have saved his life.

The car door where the bullet passed.

Wednesday, parliament discussused over the matter and the Assistant Minister for Internal Security Mr. Orwa Ojode, stated the occurrence at the scene and paused a challenge to the police to do their work.

“If I find any laxity on their part in doing their security work then I want to promise Kenyans that I will definitely transfer all of them,” said Mr.Orwa Ojode

He sited the example of Eldoret town where  there was high rate of insecurity and the policemen were relaxed in carrying out their work and he transferred them to other places and vowed to do exactly the same in areas like Webuye, Bungoma and Kakamega.

The area Member of Parliament for Webuye Mr. Alfred Sambu said he was waiting for the results of investigation before making any comments.

The area Member of Parliament for Kimilili Dr. Simiyu Eseli raised concern over grassroots leaders dying over insecurity and being killed unceremoniously by unknown thugs. He cited examples of the former mayor of Kitale, former KNUT secretary who was buried over the weekend and the previous Bungoma Mayor who was brutally murdered in his home at Mandizini Estate in Bungoma.

“In all of those cases, no person was caught, no witnesses and no case was filed since the investigation could not link anyone with the murder” said Dr. Simiyu Eseli

He stated that many political and charismatic leaders in Bungoma county were at risk if the security in those areas were not looked into, adding that it was a big failure on the parts of the police force if leaders keep on being killed and there perpetrators go scot free

“I want to pause the challenge to the assistant minister for internal security, to ensure that this time round fro this case the perpetrators are caught and justice be taken upon them,” said Dr. Simiyu Eseli

“It’s a pity that we have police officers and yet thugs and gangsters are at liberty to do unlawful acts and are never caught,” said Dr. Simiyu Eseli