More than 500 youths from Longonot in Naivasha on Tuesday paralysed construction of the 24km metre-gauge railway linking the standard gauge railway in Mai Mahiu to Longonot.
The youths are demanding jobs on the Sh3.5 billion project. They say they won't move until they get work. Some are residents, some are from Jikaze IDP camp in Mai Mahiu.
Demonstrators accuse the contractor, the China Road and Bridge Corporation (CRBC), of taking them in circles for more than two months and failing to help them.
Two weeks ago, Nakuru Governor Lee Kinyanjui criticised the contractor for ignoring area residents' need for jobs and promised to take action.
Resident Joseph Njenga said none of the youths had benefited from jobs though the railway line passes through their farms.
Njenga accused the contractor of hiring youths from other areas for a fee and ignoring local youths, leading to the current crisis.
“When the SGR works were underway, we missed out and we shall not sit back this time around as outsiders benefit,” Njenga said.
Senior officer from Kenya Railways Jonathan Kirwa admitted there was a challenge in hiring staff as the real construction work was yet to start.
“We have heard allegations of bribery and we shall definitely work with the contractor to address this issue,” he said.
Kirwa said that of the 24km line, they had only acquired four kilometres where grading was underway as compensation issues were sorted.
Meanwhile, tension is high in Kikopey area of Gilgil after two communities clashed, leaving two women farmers seriously injured.
A number of cattle were slashed by irate farmers protesting the move by pastoralists to drive their animals into their farms.
Police from Gilgil intervened after the armed pastoralists gathered at night, planning a revenge attack.
Trouble started on Monday evening when the herders attacked and seriously injured the two women who were driving pastoralists' cattle out of their farms.
Angry residents drove the tens of cattle to Gilgil police station, arriving at 10pm to protest against the herders' invasion.
Speaking on the phone, Gilgil MP Martha Wangari said that a security meeting had been called to resolve the impasse.
She said one of the injured women was admitted at Gilgil Subcounty Hospital, while the other was treated and discharged.
"This is a problem that has lasted in this area for many years and we should respect private property," she said.
Gilgil police boss John Ondit said officers were seeking the two youths who had injured the two women.
"We have 16 head of cattle at the police station that were driven in by the land owners and we are waiting for the owners before taking the next step," Ondit said.
(Edited by V. Graham)
