Govt bans all night travel along Garsen-Lamu road
Coast Regional Co-ordinator Samuel Kilele addresses the press in his office in Mombasa on July 19, 2014 when he announced a 6pm to 6am travel ban for all vehicles plying the Garsen-Lamu road. PHOTO/KEVIN ODIT
What you need to know:
- Only security officers are expected to be on the road at night.
- All drivers have been urged to heed the directive.
- Mr Kilele said he will be holding a meeting with bus owners on the security situation in Lamu.
- He said several suspects have been arrested in the ongoing security operation.
The government has imposed a night travel ban on all vehicles plying the Garsen-Lamu route amidst heightened security operations in Lamu County.
Speaking during a press briefing in his office at the Uhuru na Kazi building, Coast Regional Coordinator Samuel Kilele cautioned all Public Service Vehicles (PSV) operators, motorists and private vehicle owners against plying the highway from 6.00 pm to 6.00 am until further notice.
The ban comes after yet another attack on a bus along the Lamu-Witu road on Friday night which left seven people, among them four police officers dead.
The Tahmeed bus was attacked near Witu in Lamu County.
Following the Friday attack, the Al-Shabaab terror group which is based in neighbouring Somalia claimed responsibility.
Mr Kilele said for the security operation to be successful, the government had found it necessary to impose the ban on the Garsen-Lamu road.
"For now this is a necessity. We want only police officers to be moving at night. There is an ongoing security operation in Lamu County, we are advising all motorists, PSV operators, and private vehicle owners not to move along the Garsen-Lamu road from 6pm to 6am until further notice," he said.
CALLED FOR COOPERATION
Mr Kilele urged all stakeholders to cooperate with the new directive for the success of the operation warning that the vehicles could hinder the security officers from conducting their operations effectively.
"The government is requesting for cooperation and anyone with information should provide it to the security forces on the ground in order for us to flush out all those bandits. We are on top of things," he reiterated.
He said he will hold a meeting with bus operators in an effort to streamline all the operations insisting that the Kenyan government was able to deal with the crimes.
"We have arrested many people. Even very powerful people have been arrested but it is up to the courts to decide their fate. We will continue arresting more suspects," he added.
