There is a growing sense of fear and uncertainty in Bukhayo East Ward, Nambale Constituency, Busia County, with Karungo Village reportedly bearing the heaviest burden of insecurity. For many residents, the arrival of evening is no longer a time to relax after a day's work. Instead, it marks the beginning of hours of anxiety, suspicion and uncertainty.

When darkness begins to descend, households are engulfed by worry. Families lock their doors, secure their property and wait anxiously for daylight. As they settle into the night, a troubling question lingers in their minds: Will we wake up safely tomorrow, or will we become the next victims of criminal attacks?

This is an unacceptable way for citizens to live in a country where the Constitution guarantees every person the right to security and protection.

KARUNGO VILLAGE: A COMMUNITY UNDER SIEGE?

Residents of Karungo Village and neighbouring areas are concerned about reports of stolen livestock, house break-ins and people being attacked or hijacked while travelling along local routes. Such incidents, where confirmed, represent more than the loss of property. They threaten livelihoods, undermine public confidence and weaken the social and economic life of the community.

Farmers who depend on livestock for their livelihoods face the risk of losing valuable assets. Families who invest their savings in household property live with the fear that intruders may break into their homes. Those who must travel after dark face additional uncertainty about their personal safety.

Recently, I travelled through the area towards Buyofu Market and experienced firsthand the tense security environment that residents have been describing. One particularly striking concern was the apparent inability of boda boda operators to conduct business safely between 8.00 p.m. and 5.00 a.m.

For a boda boda operator, those hours could mean an opportunity to earn additional income and support a family. For a passenger, they could mean access to transport during an emergency. When insecurity makes such movement unsafe, the entire community pays the price.

A region where residents cannot travel freely after dark is a region whose economic and social life is being held back by fear.

WHEN NIGHTFALL BECOMES A SOURCE OF ANXIETY

The people of Bukhayo East deserve to enjoy the same peace and security as citizens elsewhere in Kenya. They should not have to organise their lives around the fear of criminals.

Children should sleep peacefully. Parents should not spend the night listening anxiously for suspicious movements outside their homes. Traders should be able to close their businesses without wondering whether their property will still be intact the following morning.

Most importantly, residents should not be forced to surrender their freedom of movement simply because darkness has fallen.

The reported insecurity also raises serious concerns about the safety of vulnerable members of the community, including older people, children, persons with disabilities and households whose members may be away at work or school.

The people of Karungo are not asking for special treatment. They are demanding the basic protection that every Kenyan is entitled to receive.

SECURITY RESOURCES MUST TRANSLATE INTO SECURITY ON THE GROUND

One of the most troubling questions is why residents continue to express such fears when Nambale Sub-County has established security structures and receives public resources through national government programmes, including the National Government Constituencies Development Fund (NG-CDF).

It is important to recognise that NG-CDF resources are governed by specific legal purposes and are not automatically available for every security operation. Nevertheless, the existence of public institutions and development funding makes it reasonable for citizens to demand accountability, effective coordination and visible results from the relevant authorities.

The National Police Service, local administration, county and national government leaders, and other responsible agencies must work together to establish the nature and extent of the reported criminal activity and respond decisively.

Residents deserve clear answers to several questions:

• - What security assessments have been conducted in Karungo Village and the surrounding areas?
• - Are patrols adequate during the hours when residents report feeling most vulnerable?
• - Are there reliable channels through which victims can report incidents and receive timely assistance?
• - What measures are being taken to recover stolen livestock, investigate house break-ins and identify those responsible for attacks?
• - How are local security agencies coordinating with neighbouring areas across the Bungoma and Kakamega county boundaries?

These are legitimate public-interest questions. They should be addressed through evidence, transparent communication and practical action rather than political blame or empty assurances.

ALLEGATIONS OF POLITICAL CONNECTIONS MUST BE INVESTIGATED

There are concerns among residents about alleged links between some suspected criminal elements and a politician in the area. Such allegations are serious and warrant careful, impartial investigation by the relevant authorities.

However, allegations must not be treated as established facts without credible evidence. No individual should be condemned solely on the basis of rumour or political association.

The proper course of action is for the police to investigate reported crimes independently, gather evidence and hold any person found responsible accountable under the law, regardless of political position, influence or connections.

Criminality must never be allowed to hide behind political power, but neither should unverified accusations become a substitute for due process.

The people of Bukhayo East need justice, not political speculation. They need security, not competing accusations.

A CALL TO THE SECURITY LEADERSHIP

The Deputy County Commissioner, the Officer Commanding Police Division or the relevant sub-county police leadership, chiefs, assistant chiefs and village elders should treat the concerns emerging from Karungo Village as a matter requiring urgent attention.

I respectfully call for the following interventions:

1. Immediate security assessment: Conduct a thorough assessment of Karungo Village, the routes towards Buyofu Market and other affected locations to establish the hotspots, patterns and timing of reported incidents.

2. Enhanced, intelligence-led patrols: Strengthen visible security operations, particularly during the reported high-risk hours, while ensuring that interventions are based on credible intelligence and lawful procedures.

3. Investigation and prosecution: Follow up reports of livestock theft, house break-ins, hijackings and assaults, ensuring that victims receive assistance and suspects are dealt with according to the law.

4. Community-police cooperation: Establish or strengthen safe, confidential reporting channels and regular engagement between residents, police officers, local administrators and community representatives.

5. Cross-county coordination: Given the area's proximity to Bungoma and Kakamega counties, relevant security agencies should cooperate where investigations reveal that criminal activity crosses administrative boundaries.

6. Public accountability: Provide residents with appropriate updates on security measures, reporting procedures and progress in addressing the concerns raised.

These actions would demonstrate that government institutions are responsive to the needs of ordinary citizens.

LEADERSHIP MUST BE MEASURED BY THE SAFETY OF THE PEOPLE

Political leaders often speak about development, empowerment, roads, markets and economic growth. All these matters are important. Yet development loses its meaning when citizens are afraid to walk home, transport their goods, operate their businesses or sleep peacefully in their own houses.

A road may be constructed, a market may expand and public funds may be allocated to development projects, but residents cannot fully benefit from these investments if insecurity threatens their lives and property.

Security is therefore not a political favour. It is a fundamental public responsibility.

The leadership of Nambale Constituency and Bukhayo East Ward should engage the relevant security agencies and ensure that residents' concerns reach the appropriate decision-makers. The public also deserves responsible communication that neither exaggerates the situation nor dismisses genuine fears.

The test of leadership is not merely the ability to mobilise people during political campaigns. It is also the willingness to respond when those people are frightened, vulnerable and in need of protection.

THE PEOPLE OF KARUNGO DESERVE THEIR NIGHTS BACK

Karungo Village should not become synonymous with fear. Bukhayo East should not be remembered as a place where darkness dictates the movement of citizens. Buyofu Market and its surrounding routes should be places where people can conduct lawful business without unreasonable fear for their safety.

Every stolen animal represents a possible loss of income. Every broken-into home represents an invasion of family privacy and security. Every person attacked on the road represents a life potentially placed in danger.

Behind every security incident is a human being, a family and a community struggling to live with dignity.

I therefore appeal to the relevant security authorities to move beyond routine assurances and demonstrate a sustained, practical response to the concerns raised by residents.

I also urge community members to report incidents through lawful channels, preserve relevant evidence where safe to do so, and avoid taking the law into their own hands.

The people of Bukhayo East are not asking for the impossible. They are asking to sleep without fear, protect their property, travel safely and wake up to another day of opportunity.

A government that protects its people safeguards more than lives and property; it protects livelihoods, dignity, confidence and hope.

The people of Karungo Village are waiting. The people of Bukhayo East are watching. The time for urgent, coordinated and accountable security action is now.