Police probe claims of business rivalry in Garissa milk depot attack

By BONIFACE ONGERI

GARISSA; KENYA: Police were yesterday investigating whether business rivalry was to blame for the weekend attack on a milk depot in Garissa town in which property worth millions of shillings was lost.

A group of men stormed the Garissa New KCC milk depot run by Ali Hassan attacking customers and employees and destroying property. Mr Hassan estimated his loss at Sh6 million and blamed a new entrant into the distribution market, Mr MM Bukhari, for the attack.

Bukhari, however, denied the allegations. “It’s unfortunate that it had to get this violent. I am not involved in my competitor’s woes,” said Bukhari.

Nevertheless, Bukhari and Hassan concurred that supply of New KCC milk products had caused a bitter dispute between them.

Bukhari claimed Hassan has been trying to lock him out of business by employing negative tactics. “The tactics include drastically reducing wholesale and retail prices of milk. At one time he said he was willing to make losses so that he can have monopoly in the distribution,” he said.

The New KCC MD Daniel Langat said they had on severally tried to reconcile the two to end the price wars.