Rowdy youths clash with police over sand revenue at Isinya

Residents of Isinya town in Kajiado run for sefty after anti riot police dispersed a group youths whop had barricaded the Nairobi Namanga road for hours. The more than 200 young men from the maasai community were demanding that they be collecting a revenue of Sh 300 for every lorry transporting sad from the area. Scores of people including a police officer were injured during the melee. PETERSON GITHAIGA

Scores of people were injured yesterday when youths seeking to control sand harvesting revenue clashed with the police.

Trouble started when more than 200 young men barricaded the Nairobi-Namanga highway at Isinya demanding to be allowed to start collecting Sh300 for every lorry transporting sand from Kajiado to Nairobi.

But their demands did not go down well with the transporters, who argued they paid revenue to the county government and other authorities.

Yesterday morning, the youth demanded that sand transporters pay the amount or be barred from operating in the area.

In the ensuing confrontation, a number of lorries had their windscreens smashed by the rowdy youths, prompting police officers to move in.

The confrontation went on for more than two hours, during which motorists along the highway were attacked.

Police had to call in reinforcements from the Kajiado and Kitengela police stations to contain the mayhem.

Isinya police boss Steven Wenda pleaded with the group not to take law into their hands by destroying property.

''Our work is to protect lives and the property of all the citizens, we will not allow you to destroy any other place'' said Wenda.

However, his pleas were not headed as the young men engaged the police in running battles with stones, forcing them to respond with tear-gas canisters.

The police boss described the youths as idlers out to make quick money.

"We will not allow men who have refused to work to break the law. They should go home and look after their fathers' cattle," he said.