Lucky in trauma: Kenyan man narrates agony inflicted by armed robbers

It was a painful brush with death that tossed him to the corner of remaining a lucky man but broken to pieces by the traumatic aftermath.

Above is a succinct description of the fate of the befell Peter Maina, a Kenyan employee of Rak Salon in Juba, just a week ago.

Like many people who have fallen in the arms of marauding bloodthirsty criminals in Juba streets, Mr. Maina became a similar victim and lost his belonging and nearly his life.

The attack

It all began when Maina was returning home from work when he fell into the hands of strangers along Airport Road at 8 pm. It was already dark and as a Juba resident who had lived within the city for quite some time, he did not expect such twilight of his life.

Maina says two strangers stopped him and ordered him to sit down. Confused and terrified, he obeyed the orders and sat down balancing the sights on the armed men. He says the duo ordered him to give them the money and did so willingly.

Thinking that he had given everything that would secure his release, Maina tried to request one of the attackers to hand him some of his documents and that is when things turned for the worse: they shot him.

The bullet cut his mouth short burning through his anterior chest throwing him on the floor. What he could remember was that the armed guy he described as a tall and huge man shot him using a machine gun.

He fell helplessly fell and soaked in his blood yet was unable to reminisce why his life was worth taking after surrendering his belongings to the dollar-hungry robbers.

“The sound of the gun sent them on their heels,” he explains.

Maina neither identified anyone or knew any of them before, but he suspected that they might have been close people who had been monitoring him.

“I did not think they would do that because I did not quarrel with them. I was pleading with them and immediately I heard the sound of the gun,” he says.

“I surprisingly found myself on the floor. I was not expecting to be shot because I had given up my property including money and phone to them. I don’t understand why they wanted to take my life,” he says as he holds his breath

According to Maina, the assailants were in casual wear. However, he suspects that his being a foreigner might have triggered the attack.

Treatment

Maina was taken to Giada Military Hospital where he says the bullet was removed after a successful operation and his wounds were dressed. However, nursing wounds of unwarranted assault are subjecting him to trauma.

On his bed at his residence, Maina was barechested with his wounds gushed open though trails of dry patches of the skin sent a message of healing.

He was speaking sparingly, balancing between deep breathing and speaking and trying to gather enough strength in the process.

He says since he was attacked on October 11, the illusion of the assailants who attacked him remains a great deprivation to his sleep, adding that such thoughts had rented his mind so much that he could wonder why on earth people wanted to kill each other.

Bitter memories

However, Maina says God stood for him and persevered his life from such a mysterious death.

Maina now nurses his wounds at his residence under the care of his employer

He says his family in Kenya were having nobody else catering for them since he was shot.

“Now, when I was shot, my family have been in a great deal of trouble. It is good to live as friends other than trying to kill one another. If you need something from me, and you ask, I can give it to you but not in a violent way like this,” he said in a dwindling tone.

Maina calls on the government of South Sudan to look into such cases which are putting people’s lives at risk. He stresses that dark streets need to be lit up to expose criminals.

He reveals that the case was being monitored by the military because he had his treatment at the Giada military hospital.

He condemns criminals for taking things from people and still wanting to take their lives again.

Meanwhile, yesterday, a dead body was found in a classroom in White Way Primary School.

The children were coming to school when they were asked to return home due to the presence of the corpse in one of the classes.

The cause of her death is still being investigated by the police.

Countless crimes have been happening in Juba city. In August 2020, three children in one family were slaughtered in Rock City.