Two hired goons lynched in futile Miwani Sugar takeover
Two people among those who raided Miwani Sugar Company in an attempt to facilitate a forceful takeover by an auctioneer on behalf of his clients were brutally murdered by angry local residents.
The duo, were part of the goons alleged to have been transported from Kondele in Kisumu county in two lorries ostensibly to kick out the receiver managers on the strength of an alleged court order which they did not produce at the time, before the incident went on full scale confrontation.
When KNA visited the area, calm was slowly returning save for the fires in the sugarcane plantations that were set alight by unknown arsonists.
The futile attempt to take over the sugar farm also culminated into extensive destruction of Miwani’s offices and finance department from where an unknown amount of money was said to have been stolen.
Following the incident, Kisumu Governor Prof Anyang’ Nyong’o strongly condemned the loss of lives and chaos that took place in Miwani, Muhoroni constituency describing it as unfortunate but appealed for calm as investigations kicked in.
Nyong’o discouraged members of the public from taking the law into their own hands but instead exhaust all the available avenues for legal redress.
Subsequently, the governor sent his condolences to the families and friends of the two victims who lost their lives during the altercations.
He appealed to the relevant authorities to carry out prompt investigations and reveal the root cause of the violence and legal action to be taken against perpetrators.
David Onyango, Hillary Ochieng, and Meshack Osodo who are employees in one of the security firms neighbouring Miwani Sugar Company, the goons were brought in three lorries and one car. One of the lorries and the car were set ablaze.
Ochieng, Onyango and Osodo, claimed three Administration Police officers who accompanied the group flashed guns on curious members of the public who converged at the scene demanding to know what was happening.
They claimed that the goons proceeded to break into almost all offices including the accounts section and stole an unknown amount of money. They told KNA that five people sustained serious injuries with one having an arrow lodged in his back as others suffered deep machete cuts.
The trio claimed that Muhoroni parliamentary aspirant Samuel Onyango Ongou, led the team together with the auctioneer called Muzungu who insisted that they were acting in accordance with the court orders that they did not produce.
Ongou’s presence in the team infuruated the residents who destroyed all his campaign posters and banners that had been placed at strategic places threatening that they will not vote for him as earlier planned.
However, Ongou told KNA that he had nothing to do with the raid as the Muzungu auctioneers were simply going to implement the court order which was in favour of the proprietors of Kibos Sugar and Allied Industries Limited (KSAIL) chaired by Raju Patel on behalf of the family.
Muhoroni Deputy County Commissioner Benedict Munyuoki, confirmed that two people actually lost their lives following the fracas.
Munyuoki explained that it had nothing to do with the two neighboring communities who, according to local residents, teamed up to put up a spirited fight aimed at protecting the collapsed sugar firm which has been dogged by numerous court cases and placed under receivership. - KNA
