Marwa warns bus drivers against flouting law on armed police escort

Traders sell water and snacks to passengers travelling from Lamu to Mombasa. Coast Regional Coordinator Nelson Marwa has cautioned all drivers using the route against moving without armed police escort. PHOTO | KEVIN ODIT | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • Mr Marwa said all vehicles plying the route must undergo security checks.
  • The regional coordinator said the police had been directed to intercept vehicles travelling without escort.
  • He urged travellers to only board vehicles that had security escort.

Coast Regional Coordinator Nelson Marwa has warned motorists plying the Lamu-Mombasa highway against travelling without armed police escort.

Addressing journalists in Lamu, Mr Marwa said he was aware of some drivers, especially those of private vehicles, who use the road without escort.

SECURITY CHECKS
Mr Marwa said such drivers not only endanger the lives of their passengers but also their own.

He said all vehicles must also undergo police checks and travel under armed escort.

PROSECUTE

The senior administrator said he had directed police to intercept vehicles travelling without escort and have the drivers charged with contempt of law and deliberately endangering lives.

“As you are aware, no vehicle should leave Lamu without police escort. We have police checks on the road and vehicles must undergo all these security checks.

ARREST

“We have thousands of vehicles operating on the Lamu-Mombasa road and we can’t have police officers in every vehicle.

That’s why we came up with the issue of convoys being escorted by our security officers. Everybody must adhere to this,” Mr Marwa said.

He said drivers who evade police checks will be arrested since the move might easily bring in people with ulterior motives unnoticed.

PASSENGERS
Saying security was everyone’s mandate, he urged travellers to only choose vehicles that have police escort.

“I advise passengers that they make sure they only board vehicles that have police escort,” Mr Marwa said.

“Don’t be in a hurry to travel because you might live to regret it.”

POLICE PATROLS
Mr Marwa however assured the public at the Coast of their security and said police patrols have been intensified on the route.

Calling for vigilance, he asked residents and travellers to report suspicious persons or activity on the route to the police.

Armed police escorts for passenger vehicles travelling in and out of Lamu were introduced by the late Interior Cabinet Secretary Joseph Nkaissery following increased attacks and attempts on the buses by Al-Shabaab militants that left several people dead between 2014 and 2015.