Kisii residents protest over deplorable state of roads

Police in Kisii Town clear barricades on the main road leading to Kisumu on January 18, 2018 following protests by locals over the poor state of the roads in the area. PHOTO | NYABOGA KIAGE | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • They accused the national and county governments of ignoring the poor state of the roads. 

  • There was a massive congestion at the Daraja Mbili market due to the protests.

  • During the campaigns, President Uhuru Kenyatta promised that the road will be tarmacked.

Transport was paralysed along the Daraja Moja-Nyamataro road by-pass and the Nyambera-Marani road in Kisii Town after locals barricaded the roads due to their deplorable state.

They erected concrete electric poles along the roads as they accused the national and county governments of ignoring the poor state of the roads.

During the protests, a man claiming to be a Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) officer was arrested after he roughed up a police inspector.

KDF

Police removing barricades on the road detained Albert Nyamao who had particulars indicating his force number as 97181 and attached at the Nyali Barracks, after he hassled journalists and police during the protests.

Mbona mnanipiga picha na mimi ni askari wa KDF (Why are you taking photos of me, yet I am a KDF officer)?” posed Mr Nyamao.

A commotion then ensued as the police ordered him to leave the scene.

That is when he grabbed Kisii Central Deputy OCS Inspector Abdo Kiptoo Abdala by the collars, assaulted him and attempted to hit other officers who intervened.

BODABODA

The OCS then asked him to leave the scene but instead Mr Nyamao started taking photos of police cars and officers who were removing barricades mounted by locals along the three kilometer stretch from Kisii town.

Local Deputy OCPD Augustine Obonyo confirmed the incident saying that Mr Nyamao, a former bodaboda rider, was suspected to be inciting the protestors.

“A man who has identified himself as a KDF officer was inciting the protestors who were barricading the road. Investigations have kicked off into the matter,” said Mr Obonyo.

Police say they could charge him with obstruction, incitement to violence if they think he was interfering with police work to maintain law and order.

CONGESTION

The protests caused a major traffic snarl-up along other roads including the busy Kisii-Kisumu highway resulting to a massive congestion at the Daraja Mbili market.

The residents blamed a local MP over failure to rehabilitate the road.

"We don't know what our MP Richard Onyonka is doing because we have not seen any major developments along thess roads. What is he doing to help the situation?" posed Mr Josephat Kiage, a boda boda rider.

During the campaigns, President Uhuru Kenyatta promised that the road will be tarmacked.