BY OMARI AKELLO
A KISUMU based journalist is living
in fear following death threats from a man believed to be a senior member of a
dreaded criminal gang in the Lakeside City.
The scribe Mr. Jared Opiyo was
forced to report to the regional CID boss Moses Ndindi and other top government
officials after he was confronted by one Audi Ogada who issued him with threats
on the ground that te journalist was snooping and exposing their criminal
activities in the region.
Mr. Audi Ogada who camouflages as
the de facto chairman to a group dubbed Kisumu residesnts voice attacked the
journalist last week when the two bumped onto each other at the Kisumu court of
appeal during the hearing of impeachment case against Kisumu County Assembly
speaker Ann Adul.
Prior to the incident Mr. Ogada had
at one point trailed the journalist at his Estatae in Dunga beach accompanied
by a battery of goons from the terror Unit where they warned him together with
another journalist Omari Akello against exposing the group’s activities.
Jared Opiyo filed a story that was
authoritatively reported by Weekly Citizen indicating a
money minting racket in which Kisumu
county government loses a whooping sh 3 million daily through corrupt traffic
and KRA officers in cahoots with bus stage cartel has been exposed.
They story exposed how American
marine group members widely linked to the former Prime Minister Raila Odinga
are leading a flashy life courtesy of untaxed revenue a move that is said to
have contributed to the poor performance posted by the Kisumu county
government, which recently scored one percent in World Bank rating.
The dirty money according to our
investigations is collected by two well known ghost workers from the Kisumu
county government operating under blessings of troubled governor Jack Ranguma.
The duo said to be equally rich
given their position in the corruption mix are one Muga and Rashid Onda and who
have not been affected by the usually frequent transfers.
Others controlling a catalogue of
dubious businesses at the bus park stage are Jacksnee,Jacktone Ojuang aka
Ponge, Daudi,Paulo and Kobi who is also believed to be in money laundering
business for the cartel.
Apart from enjoying un-taxed money
the group has also been accused by matatu owners of charging sky-scraping
illegal fee for one to be allowed enter the stage and collect passengers.
‘’We are calling upon the government
to intervene and rescue us from this group who have threatened to unleash
terror on us whenever we fail to cooperate’’ said one matatu owner who
requested not to be named for fear of victimization.
And recently a manager at the National petrol station at
the stage complained to this writer saying the dreaded group has turned his
place into a parking place and his move to kick them out of the place have only
been met by threats.
During the confrontation Audi chest
thumped saying he was the chief engineer in current troubles facing their
historical opponent group China Squad believed to be propagating president
Uhuru Kenyatta ideologies.
‘You should get it clear that I am a
dangerous man and I have all the powers to dictate which police officer stays
in Kisumu’ he told the journalist adding that it was through his influence that
another veteran scribe Anderson Ojwang was fired as the Kisumu bureau chief.
The furious regional CID boss
however confirmed to the scribe to remain bold in performing his duties and
promised to summon Audi to his office for the purpose of recording a statement.
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