Two held over 10km traffic gridlock as police criticised over poor response

Two men accused of organizing protests on the Nairobi-Nakuru highway have been arrested as police came under criticism for mishandling the incident.

Police and local county administration are on the spot over the manner in which the handled the protests amid claims their actions were intentional.

The suspects were arrested long after Inspector General of police Joseph Boinnet issued a directive on Monday night calling on the arrest of those behind the incident in which dozens of vehicles had their tyres deflated causing an eight-hour traffic jam on the busy highway.

The flow of vehicles on the stretch has been restored to normal.

It is not clear why the local security agents took long to clear the highway for the use of motorists.

Junior officers blamed their bosses in Kiambu and Nairobi for the mess with some citing politics over its escalation.

“A lean team was initially sent to the ground without a clear command. There were no instructions to clear the protesters from the road even after it emerged they were blocking the busy highway and were destroying property,” said an officer who was at the scene.

And even as the protests persisted, police headquarters never issued a statement or commented on the same.

Boinnet and interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiangi who were presumably aware of the mess as it unfolded for the better part of the day were at Central Police station but never uttered a word on the issue.

It was until 8 pm that the IG issued the directive saying he had ordered the arrest of those behind the demonstration.

Police in the area said they are pursuing more suspects over the incident.

Local commissioner Paul Wanyanga and county commander Adiel Nyange held a daylong meeting to discuss the issue.

A section of the Nairobi-Nakuru Highway was blocked for at least eight hours by a group of goons inconveniencing thousands of motorists.

The group was protesting the move by Kitui Governor Charity Ngilu to ban logging and burning of charcoal in the area. The action by Ngilu led to the attack and burning of a lorry that was ferrying bags of charcoal from Kitui to Nairobi.

The blockade of the highway, which is the main supply route to Uganda, DRC Congo, Rwanda, South Sudan and Burundi took place at the junction of Nairobi-Maimahiu Road and that of the main Nakuru Highway at Rironi area, which is the home of the owner of the lorry that was burnt on February 8.

Ngilu's administration has enforced a ban on logging and burning of charcoal.

The assembly outlawed the trade nearly four years ago through the Kitui County Charcoal Management Act.

A group of youths had circulated leaflets in the area warning traders to keep their shops closed.

"Limuru Business Community and committee members wish to request you to keep your shop closed on Monday February 26, 2018...and join us in a strike against the lorry burned by Governor Ngilu," a section of the leaflet read.

Come Monday morning, the group used boulders from a road construction site to block the main highways before they deflated tyres of at least ten vehicles immobilizing them. The 6 am action affected both sides of the highway.

This showed police were well aware of the planned protests.

The agony on the road users started from then until about 3 pm when police lobbed the first teargas canister and fired to the air to disperse the goons who were harassing motorists queuing in a stretch of about ten kilometers on both directions.

By then, some motorists had sought alternative routes to reach their destinations after parting with cash to the same goons to allow them pass.

Many of the motorists interviewed said the police were lenient and biased towards the protesters.

“This is an international highway linking Kenya and other countries yet police are playing with these goons,” said a driver who identified himself as Abdallah and was ferrying goods to Burundi.

Some motorists opted to postpone their trips to and from Nakuru direction in fear of having their vehicles’ tyres deflated.

Ngilu appeared before the National Cohesion and Integration Commission where she had been summoned.

Ngilu is accused of asking locals to 'deal with pastoralists and charcoal dealers' who have invaded the county.

Her lawyers say she is an environmental champion.