Residents of Botwa area in Cherangany constituency, Trans Nzoia County are living in fear, after a suspect of defilement escaped from police custody.
The locals staged peaceful demonstrations in the area for over three hours demanding for the commencement of a manhunt operation on the escapee.
The suspect, Stephen Wekesa, is a family man in his mid-twenties who was accused of defiling and threatening two minors in the area.
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One of the victims, who is standard seven in Botwa Sabwani Primary school, is currently pregnant after the heinous act.
Stephen was arrested by angry residents on Thursday September 30, 2021 after they pursued him at Kapchesir trading centre. The law abiding citizens then presented him to the Nyakinywa police post.
Later that the evening, the locals received shocking reports that the suspect had escaped from Kitale county Referral Hospital where he was being treated. It is however still not clear how the suspect escaped.
"We were so lenient with him, we would have chosed to go rogue and kill him but we did not. We chose not to harm him by handing him over to the police. We are shocked that he escaped from the police," one of the resident said.
A teary Doreen Machimbo, mother to one of the girls, narrated to K24 digital how Wekesa raped her daughter while they were attending a night vigil of their departed loved one. The suspect allegedly gained entry into their home, opened the girls room, strangled one of her daughters then dragged her to the toilet where he committed the offence.
"Wekesa almost killed my daughter. Even after committing the act, he threatened to repeat the act if my daughter informed anyone on what happened that night," Machimbo said.
She said that she fears for her since the suspect has been hovering around with a machete threatening anyone who tries to confront him.
Peter Mayende, father to the other defiled minor, said that his daughter is greatly traumatized as the act is still fresh in her mind.
"My whole family is in pain seeing our daughter suffering. My daughter does not have even an iota of peace due to what happened to her" Mayende said.
The area village elder said they have lost confidence in Nyakinywa police post officers. He accused the officer of condoning criminals and collecting bribes from brewers of illicit alcohol.
The locals called on Ministry of Interior and Coordination of National Government CS Dr. Fred Matiang'i to follow up the matter to help them ease the tension.
"CS Matiang'i is now our only hope, we want him to crack the whip on Nyakinywa police post officers who seem to be working with criminals" one of the residents said.
