Narok residents block roads to protest arrest of Senator Ntutu and four MPs
Police at a roadblock put up by Narok residents during riots in Narok Town on January 29, 2015. PHOTO | GEORGE SAYAGIE |
What you need to know:
- Motorists and tourists were stranded as they could not enter or leave Narok after the roads were blocked.
- Tourists from Maasai Mara were diverted to Narok Police Station.
Business was paralysed in Narok Town on Thursday as residents took to the streets to protest the arrest of Senator Stephen ole Ntutu and four area MPs for alleged incitement.
A middle-aged woman was injured as protesters blocked roads into the town and engaged police in running battles. The woman was rushed to Narok County Referral Hospital, where she was recuperating.
The protesters lit fires and used stones to block roads in Narok Town, promising to paralyse operations in the town until the leaders were released.
They faulted Interior Cabinet Secretary Joseph Nkaissery for the order to arrest Mr Ntutu and the four MPs — Patrick Ntutu (Narok West), Moitalel ole Kenta (Narok North), Korei ole Lemein (Narok South) and Johana Ngeno (Emurua Dikir),
“We will not relent until our leaders are released to us, this is intimidation by the government and we will make sure impunity and corruption must come to an end,” said one of the protesters, who gave his name as Salau.
The leaders were arrested on Wednesday after they went to record statements at the CID headquarters in Nairobi over the Monday incident.
The five leaders, however, were later released by a Nairobi court on a personal bond of Sh500,000 each and were expected to fly to Narok to calm the protesters.
BUSINESS PARALYSED
On Thursday, business in the town and at trading centres along the Narok-Mai Mahiu road was paralysed as residents took to the streets to demand the immediate release of the five politicians.
Fires that had been lit by the protesters. Motorists were stranded after roads in Narok Town were blocked. PHOTO | GEORGE SAYAGIE | NATION MEDIA GROUP
Roads leading to Narok from all directions were blocked by residents at different points.
The Narok-Mau Narok road was blocked at the Roptian, Enengetia and Tipis trading centres, while the Narok-Mai Mahiu road was rendered impassable at the Ntulele and Suswa trading centres.
The blockade forced those plying the route to western Kenya and Nyanza to cut short their journey.
The road leading to the world-famous Maasai Mara National Reserve was also barricaded at the Ewuaso Ngiro trading centre as residents vowed to sabotage all economic activities in the county.
Motorists and tourists were stranded as they could not enter or leave Narok after the roads were blocked.
Tourists from the Mara were diverted to Narok Police Station.
Protesters barricade a road in Narok Town, demanding the release of a senator and four MPs who had been arrested over incitement. PHOTO | GEORGE SAYAGIE | NATION MEDIA GROUP
Police called for reinforcements on Thursday afternoon to help clear the barricaded roads as protests continued.
Earlier on Wednesday, more than 200 people blocked the busy Narok-Bomet highway and demanded the release of the county leaders, who were being held at Muthaiga Police Station in Nairobi over the Monday violence in the county.
Several vehicles were pelted with stones at the Ololulung trading centre and in the Katakala area on the Narok-Bomet road, paralysing night operations, with motorists fearing further attacks.
GOVERNMENT BAN
The arrests of the county leaders had followed a warning by Mr Nkaissery that those behind the violence targeting law enforcement officers would face the wrath of the law.
The Interior Cabinet secretary ordered that the county leaders be investigated for defying a government ban on rallies and demonstrations in the county.
Anti-riot police officers disperse protesters. A tourist van in Narok Town was grounded in the standoff. PHOTO | GEORGE SAYAGIE | NATION MEDIA GROUP
During the Monday riots, two people were shot dead while eight others, including two police officers, were seriously injured when thousands of Narok residents defied the government ban.
The protesters were demonstrating against Governor Samuel ole Tunai, whom they accused of mismanaging the county government.
One person was allegedly shot dead by police officers, who were overwhelmed by a mob that tried to force its way into the county government offices.
Narok North OCPD Paul Letting and a General Service Unit (GSU) officer were among those injured during the Monday riots.
After the chaos subsided on Monday, the leaders presented a petition to county secretary Lenku Seki and issued a 21-day ultimatum to the governor to address their grievances.
CONTROL OF REVENUE
The control of billions of shillings collected annually from the Maasai Mara is at the heart of the dispute, with the Ntutu-led team demanding the removal of the governor.
The leaders have been demanding since last year that the contract awarded to the Kenya Airport Parking Service (Kaps) to collect fees in the Maasai Mara through an e-ticketing system be revoked to pave the way for fresh applications.
The Maasai Mara generates revenues of up to Sh2 billion annually.
The leaders further accused Governor Tunai of mismanaging county resources, claiming some Sh16 billion from the national government and local revenue is unaccounted for.
The demonstrations are a culmination of a three-month tussle between the governor and a section of leaders who want him out of office over claims of mismanagement.
Mr Tunai is accused of failing to account for billions of shillings from tourism activities in the Maasai Mara and from devolved funds from the national government, markets and other sources.
They also accused him of skewed job allocation, saying he favoured outsiders at the expense of the Maasai community.
President Uhuru Kenyatta twice tried to intervene and resolve the stalemate when he invited the leaders to State House in Nairobi to try to calm the tension that was building up ahead of another meeting, which was later called off.
