Transporters in Limuru, Kiambu county on Saturday held protests demanding the arrest of Kitui governor Charity Ngilu for allegedly inciting youths to burn lorries transporting charcoal in the county.
They lit bonfires at Kwambira area along the Nairobi Nakuru highway and blocked the road with logs alleging Ngilu was propelling ethnicity.
On Wednesday, a lorry was set ablaze in Kanyonyo area in Kitui by youths.
Kiambu deputy governor James Nyoro, area MP Peter Mwathi and Limuru Central MCA Joseph Kahenya, asked the Inspector General of police Joseph Boinnet to arrest the governor since there is evidence of her ordering vehicles to be set ablaze.
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Tigoni officer station OCS Leonard Asava leads other officers to pull a contractors drums from the Nairobi Nakuru highway where Kamarithu village in Limuru constituency residents held a protest and pulled them on the road to obstruct vehicles.
GEORGE MUGO
“There is
evidence
and witnesses including the lorry crew narrating how the incident happened,” Mwathi said.
Mwathi asked the National Cohesion and Integration Commission to investigate the incident, claiming it was tribal.
Nyoro said they were not taking the incident lightly, adding they will report it to the Council of Governors.
“We want the governors to know we need each other, our people conduct business from different counties,” he said.
The Mitsubishi Fuso KCC 050P driver Joseph Waweru said it was set ablaze at Kanyonyo near Matuu.
He reveals that they had bought the charcoal in Tana River and were transporting it to Nairobi for sale.
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The lorry proprietor David Kariuki said they don't buy charcoal at Kitui since the governor banned the charcoal trade.
“We do not buy charcoal there. The problem is, the road from Tana River to Nairobi cut across Kitui, there is no other road” Kariuki says
Kiambu county commander of police Andiel Nyange address residents of Kwambira village in Limuru had blocked the Nairobi Nakuru highway between Kwambira and Kamandura.
GEORGE MUGO
Waweru explains that Ngilu and her aides stopped the truck and asked his driving license, movement permit, county cess receipts and associations receipts.
“They confiscated my documents, alleging they were fake. I was arrested and taken to Kitui police station where I was locked up” he explains.
“It was on Tuesday, and on Wednesday I was taken to court with allegations of operating with forged documents. I was released on Sh10,000 cash bail after I denied the charge” he said.
Kariuki adds that he found the shell of his vehicle when he was going to free his driver.
The lorry owner David Kariuki addressing journalists with his driver Joseph Waweru (in a black cape) when they joined residents of Kwambira village in Limuru had block the Nairobi Nakuru highway between Kwambira and Kamandura.
GEORGE MUGO
The angry residents who had closed a better part of 3km from Kwambira up to Kamandura were quelled by the police led by county commander Andiel Nyange.
Nyange told residents one suspect has been arrested, saying police in Kitui were investigating Ngilu and will arrest all those who will be implicated in the incident.
“I urge all of you to accept that actions have been taken. We shall know what happened and anybody who will be implicated, regardless of position will be arrested and charged” Nyange said.
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