The night travel ban in Lamu will remain in force despite the lifting of the nationwide, county commissioner Irungu Macharia has said.
Public service vehicles owners and travellers on the Lamu-Garsen road will have to operate only during the day.
Last week, Transport CS James Macharia announced the resumption of night travel across the country following President Uhuru Kenyatta’s decree to lift the Covid-19 dusk-to-dawn curfew.
But Macharia said the resumption of night travel applies to all other parts of Kenya but not Lamu.
He said the night travel ban in Lamu was a result of security concerns and not Covid-19.
The ban was introduced in July 2014 following a spate of al Shabaab terror attacks targeting security vehicles and PSVs on the Lamu-Garsen stretch. The attacks have left scores of security officers and civilians killed.
The PSVs have instead been directed to only travel during daytime in a single convoy accompanied by armed police escort.
“The night travel restriction in Lamu has not been lifted. Commuters are expected to continue adhering to the existing travel arrangements since the ban here was majorly because of insecurity, so it shall remain in place,” Macharia said.
Motorists plying the route however want the ban lifted saying it has been in place for too long and has adversely affected the road transport sector.
The improved road network has enabled faster and efficient movement of vehicles on the stretch and allowed a comfortable ride for those who can't afford flights or are seeking a different experience altogether.
The Sh10.8 billion road construction project was undertaken by the H-Young Company in coordination with GIBB Africa Limited.
The road was officially opened by President Kenyatta on May 20 this year, the same day he operationalised the first berth at the new Lamu Port.
The improved road has equally seen an increased number of PSVs plying the road in recent times.
Shuttle driver Omar Mbwana urged the government to lift the ban to enable them capitalise on the increased number of travellers occasioned by the opening of the Lamu port.
“December is a high tourist season and so are Christmas and New Year festivities that are around the corner. There are many people travelling to Lamu to look for work at the port. Let them allow us to make money by lifting the ban. Eight years is enough time to suffer,” Mbwana said.
The commuters are also calling for the reduction of security roadblocks from the current five to at least two.
There are at least four roadblocks between the Mokowe Depot in Lamu and the Minjila junction in Tana River county.
They are in Ndeu, Witu, Gamba, and Itsowe.
These checkpoints are manned by the police and soldiers from the Kenya Defence Forces.
Passengers are usually required to alight with all their luggage for checks at some of the checkpoints before being allowed to proceed.
Police have been accused of turning these checkpoints into cash cows.
-Edited by SKanyara
