MOLO, Kenya, Apr 13 — Residents of Sion village in Molo Constituency have decried a surge in livestock theft in the area which has led to insecurity and fear among residents. This comes after raiders broke into one homestead belonging to Lily Rotich and slaughtered a cow within the neighbourhood.The incident that sparked protest among the residents has left the residents of Sion village counting heavy losses which has sparked fresh concerns about insecurity.Expressing their grievances, residents demanded decisive action, emphasizing the escalating severity of the situation. The residents took to the streets near Sachangwan junction to express their dissatisfaction with security, slamming police for laxity and poor service to residents.Speaking to the press, the residents led by Lily Rotich, Mercy Langat, Vicky Chepkwong and Benard Rotich are demanding intensified security operations to smoke out the thieves from their hideouts.“Numerous shops and houses have been broken into, with no arrests made yet. They brazenly slaughter cows near the police station, implying that the perpetrators are familiar to law enforcement,” she said.“It started as normal petty theft of sufuria and household items, but it has gradually graduated into livestock theft which is now a major concern to residents here,” said Langat.“We are forced to lock ourselves in the house by 8pm as if there is dust to dawn curfew here at Sion village. The only time we see police is when politicians are around ,” Lily Rotich added.Benard Rotich narrated how they went to bed thinking all was well only to wake up during milking hours and find their cow missing.After a tireless search with the help of villagers, they discovered remains of their cow slaughtered a few meters from their home, an incident which sparked protest among the residents citing surge insecurity in the area.“Here at Sion we can no longer keep our livestocks, we are forced to share shelter with the remaining cows and chickens,” said Rotich.“Its painful to this family for losing their only source of income yet schools are about to open. We demand transfer of police at Sachangwan police station,” he added.The residents slammed the area chief for allegedly pouring cold water on serious cases resolving to kangaroo courts which has led to insecurity in the area.Area Chief Evan Mageto promised to intensify patrols to restore order adding that security operators will ensure culprits are brought to book.“We have launched an investigation and I want to assure residents we will restore order and ensure lives of residents here at Sion go on as normal,” said Mageto.Residents are banding together to explore community-based solutions to address the root causes of insecurity in their area.Initiatives such as neighbourhood watch programmes, community policing efforts, and engagement with local authorities are being actively pursued to complement official law enforcement efforts.