The busy Malaba border town was on Friday evening deserted after General Service Unit (GSU) officers were ferried to the town by 6pm to enforce the curfew.
Business operators, however, complained they were ordered to close shops before 7pm when the curfew was to be effected.
The Malaba-Bungoma Highway that is usually full of activity was empty by 7pm.
The only visible movement was that of cargo trucks snaking their way to the One-Stop Border Post for clearance before crossing into Uganda.
Malaba-Angurai road that leads to Uplands residential estate had no activity. All stalls selling vegetables along the road were shut.
At 6:45pm, most back streets the Star visited had no activity. Most businesses were closed and there were only a few people rushing home to beat the 7pm curfew.
At the One-Stop Border Post, police officers were on standby keeping vigil at the Kenya-Uganda border.
Some residents, however, reported that they were harassed by police as they walked home.
“They were beating people they met on the road. The curfew was to start at 7pm, but by six they were already beating people,” Marceline Amoding said.
GSU officers from Akichelesit camp were deployed in Malaba town before 6pm.
Others patrolled Kocholya, Katakwa and Angura’i trading centres.
Most residents in Teso North, especially those living in urban areas, obeyed the curfew directive and were home by 7pm.
In Angura’i, however, some residents who tried resisting the curfew were reportedly roughed up by the officers.
Teso North police boss Wilson Muraya could not respond to the claims when the Star contacted him.
“Come to the office, but later. Right now I am in Angur’ai,” he said.
In Teso South before the start of the curfew, police moved around the subcounty’s major trading centres where they educated members of the public the importance of staying at home.
OCPD Charles Rotich said the sensitisation helped prevent ugly incidents that may have occurred without the sensitisation.
“We carried out campaigns in all market centres and this helped,” Rotich said.
“We also worked closely with influential people on social media who helped reach out to residents.
Edited by R.Wamochie
