Thieves also attack two other offices
This morning, thieves broke into the GALCK offices and made away with goods and computer monitors.
In what is described as a robbery, the thieves also broke into a clinic located on the first floor building where GALCK offices are also located. They also made away with unknown items from a automobile shop located on the ground floor.
GALCK shares the building with a clinic that caters to Most At Risk Persons (sex workers, MSM and IDUs). The ground floor is occupied by a automobile and garage shop.
According to Ben Maina, the Communication Officer for GALCK, the attack was a normal robbery.
‘Given that the thieves first broke into the business on the ground floor and made their way up to GALCK we assume that it was a robbery attack and not one directed at GALCK offices.’
The thieves tied the GALCK security guard who said four of them entered the building and after tying him up removed the window roofers to make their way into the offices.
Sources say that police offices and forensic experts are at the scene of the crime to investigate. They are also questioning the guard and staff members who use the building.
In Facebook post and e-mail communique sent to groups and partners, GALCK said
This is to inform you that the GALCK building was broken into last night. The incident has affected all the three offices under the Building that houses GALCK on ground floor, the clinic on first floor and the GALCK resource centre on second floor.
Several electronic devices from the various group desks and the secretariat office were stolen. The night guard was also brutally injured and tied at the 1st floor Sasa Centre office.
Currently, the forensics and the CID persons assisted by management, staff, guards and volunteers from groups are at the center assisting in investigation and clarity of the matter.
We will issue you with more communication in due time.
In what activists fear may be the security of GALCK, some measures have been put into place to enhance safety of members and the office.
These include rotational guards, CCTv cameras and vetting of visitors and persons coming to GALCK. However, these measures may not be enough to prevent an external attack.
According to Ben Maina, ‘preliminary results in the CCtv footage show three of the thieves inside the GALCK office.’
It is also alleged they were looking to cut off recording of the CCTv that is controlled from a different location.
In a Facebook post by Ishtar MSM, one of the groups under GALCK and who have are hosted at the GALCK’s offices, said ‘Galck Kenya in a state of uncertainty as their offices were ambushed last night. various organisation including Ishtar Msm have been affected by this unpresedented tragedy. we are gald that the authorities are on board and have offered support in catchung up with the perpetrators of this artrosity’
Full text of article available at link below –
by Denis Nzioka
Source – MSM Global Forum
