Mwingi residents torch another vehicle carrying charcoal
What you need to know:
- Efforts by police officers to take charge of the scene aborted as they were also stoned and chased away by angry residents.
- The incident comes a day after Mrs Ngilu appeared before the National Cohesion and Integration Commission for questioning over the allegations of inciting youths to burn charcoal trucks
A middle-aged man escaped being lynched by angry youths in Mwingi town after his Probox car was found carrying charcoal.
The youths burnt down the vehicle.
Business along the busy Mwingi-Garissa highway came to a standstill as the car which was loaded with 10 bags of charcoal headed for Nairobi went aflame.
According to witnesses, there was no commotion in the incident as the owner who was resting inside the car after packing beside the road was shocked to find it going up in flames.
Mary Mutemi, who sells vegetables along the busy highway told the Nation that the driver fled the scene on foot to avoid being stoned by the angry mob.
Efforts by police officers to take charge of the scene aborted as they were also stoned and chased away by angry residents who accused them of abetting the charcoal trade and protecting those involved.
Mwingi central OCPD John Nyamu said that investigations had been launched to ascertain the source of the fire.
This is the second charcoal vehicle to be torched in Kitui County since Governor Charity Ngilu banned the trade including the transportation of the commodity.
The incident comes a day after Mrs Ngilu appeared before the National Cohesion and Integration Commission for questioning over the allegations of inciting youths to burn charcoal trucks.
Speaking when she attended the fifth graduation ceremony at South Eastern Kenya University, Mrs Ngilu maintained that she will not be intimidated to lift the ban on charcoal and that those aggrieved should carry out the business in their own counties.
The Governor she had a duty as a leader to take decisive measures to protect our environment in order to mitigate perennial droughts and erratic rainfall experienced in this region.
“I will continue enforcing the charcoal and sand harvesting ban as passed by the county assembly, I need not emphasize the wanton environmental ruin the two practices have caused” she said adding cartels involved in charcoal business were bound to fight back.
TRUCK
Three weeks ago, a truck ferrying charcoal was torched by youths at night and reduced to ashes after being impounded by police.
The truck had been impounded by county enforcement officers at Kanyonyoo road block along the Mwingi – Thika – Nairobi highway, alongside three others but it stalled while being towed to Kitui police station.
The incident triggered protests by transporters in Kiambu County demanding the arrest of Mrs Ngilu for allegedly inciting youths to burn lorries ferrying charcoal in Kitui.
On Monday, the protesters deflated vehicle tyres along the Nairobi - Nakuru highway and blocked the road with logs as Governor Ngilu appeared before the NCIC.
