A gang of about 50 youths — armed with poisoned arrows, machetes and knives — on Monday evening took Maragua town hostage until dawn on Tuesday, in a show of might.
In the process, the gang managed to “change” the official curfew starting time from 10pm to 8.30pm and extended its end time from 4am to 6am.
The gang patrolled the streets of the town starting 9pm on Monday before retreating to its cells in Maica Ma Thi and Gikindu villages in the morning.
According to Ichagaki MCA Charles Mwangi, the gang has instilled terror in residents “and it is high time the government moves with speed to deal with it’'.
He said that over the past three months, the gang has killed six people, maimed tens of others and contributed to loss of business for many traders “as area security personnel remain clueless on how to reverse this dangerous trend”.
Mr Mwangi told the Nation that the gang’s activities in the town have led to the collapse of many businesses, lowered returns for real estate, and destroyed many youthful lives due to drug addiction.
“Worst affected are landlords who are now facing tenant flight in the zones that the gang has taken over, bars that have to compete with unlicensed and cheap liquor on sale in the gang’s dens as well as a property market facing a slump owing to bad publicity of the town,” said Mr Mwangi.
