The National Liberal Party Leader Dr Augustus Kyalo Muli leads locals in a peaceful procession through Kitui Town to call for action over escalating insecurity/HANDOUTResidents of Kitui County have issued the national government with a two-week ultimatum to end the escalating wave of killings and insecurity in Kitui County.
Led by National Liberal Party Leader Dr Augustus Kyalo Muli, the residents warned that fresh demonstrations will be organised if no concrete action is taken.
Muli led a peaceful procession through Kitui Town where residents turned out to demand urgent intervention from the Ministry of Interior and National Administration over what leaders described as a worsening security crisis.
The ultimatum comes amid growing alarm over a series of brutal killings that have rocked the county in recent days.
Addressing demonstrators, Muli accused the government of failing in its constitutional duty to protect lives and property and demanded immediate measures to restore security across the county.
He warned that residents would not remain silent as innocent lives continue to be lost and called on security agencies to act swiftly and decisively against those responsible for the killings.
Just two days ago, the bodies of four unidentified men were exhumed at Tyaa in Mwingi and transferred to the Nairobi City Mortuary as investigations into the mysterious deaths continue.
The discovery came only days after five women were found murdered in separate incidents in Kitui Central Sub-County, sparking fear among residents and raising questions over the effectiveness of security operations in the region.
Other leaders who joined the demonstration, among them National Liberal Party Secretary-General Ishmael K'oyoo, insisted that every Kenyan has a right to security regardless of political affiliation, ethnicity, or place of residence.
They further called for thorough investigations into the recent murders and demanded that those behind the killings be arrested and prosecuted within a fortnight.
Insecurity remains a major concern in parts of Kitui County, with residents increasingly raising alarm over cases of livestock theft, banditry and attacks linked to criminal gangs operating along some of the county's borders.
Communities in remote areas have particularly borne the brunt of the insecurity, forcing some families to live in fear and disrupting economic activities that largely depend on livestock keeping and small-scale farming.
Local leaders have repeatedly called for enhanced security operations and increased deployment of police officers to vulnerable areas.
They argue that while security agencies have made efforts to contain criminal activities, more needs to be done to dismantle criminal networks that continue to target residents and their property.
Residents say persistent insecurity has negatively affected investment and development in some parts of the county.
