This archive report was first published on 26 August 2019.
On August 25, 2019, a disturbing incident marred the national population census exercise in Kisumu. A gang of men attacked a census enumerator in Maseno, leaving her shaken but alive.
According to Nyanza Police Boss Vincent Makokha, the men were hiding in bushes when they pounced on the woman, who had been dropped off at her house by her supervisor after the exercise ended at 1:30 am on Sunday.
Mr. Makokha confirmed that the woman is receiving treatment in hospital and is out of danger. He also stated that police are following crucial leads that might lead to the arrest of all the suspects.
Two of the three suspected attackers are currently in police custody and are set to be arraigned in court. The police boss emphasized that the woman is stable and that investigations into the matter are ongoing.
The attackers were reportedly armed with machetes and also robbed the woman of her phone worth Sh19,000, a torch, a power bank, and an electronic gadget used for data entry.
As a result of the incident, the supervisor who dropped the woman at her house has been summoned to record a statement. The County Statistics Department has also been ordered to suspend the supervisor due to negligence.
Police officers deployed in the area to offer security for the census team have also been summoned to record statements with the police in Maseno.
