- Suspected gangs lit a huge fire and blocked the Southern Bypass in Kikuyu, using the chaos to rob motorists and pedestrians
- Kikuyu Member of Parliament, Kimani Ichung’wah, accused the former deputy president Rigathi Gachagua of planning chaos to smear him, urging the police to restore order
- Ichung’wah warned of more threats during the Gachagua meeting, urging the Inspector General to deploy officers to curb lawlessness
Suspected hooligans took advantage of the political tension in Kikuyu on Saturday morning, April 11, to rob drivers and kill Kenyans on foot.
Source: UGC
Pictures and videos emerged on the internet showing burning tires on the road, causing heavy traffic.
Reports indicated groups of people intent on using the opportunity to commit theft, targeting pedestrians and drivers stuck in the traffic.
The riots happened before a political meeting organized by the former vice president Rigathi Gachagua.
Drivers had difficulty passing the hoodlums who stopped them to ask for money.
In some cases, they followed drivers who had already extorted money from them earlier.
How Kimani Ichung’wah responded about cases of hooliganism in Kikuyu
Earlier, Kikuyu Member of Parliament, Kimani Ichung’wah, spoke about the improved security situation in Kikuyu after gangs lit a huge fire along the Southern Bypass section.
Breaking his silence, the state MP assured the residents that calm has been restored.
Ichung’wah commended the police officers who were ready to deal with any acts of lawlessness.
The MP claimed that the chaos was created by Gachagua to damage his reputation (Ichung’wah).
“To justify his false claims of self-inflicted violence and desire for chaos, they, this morning between 5:30 am and 6:00 am, tried to block the Southern Bypass in the Thogoto Kiamburi area, the PCEA gate in Kikuyu, and Gitaru with a trailer and heavy fire,” he said.
The MP promised to work closely with security agencies to respond to any possible threats when Gachagua holds his meeting in the area.
He accused the former vice president of endangering innocent citizens in order to retaliate against those he considered traitors for supporting his removal from power.
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“The security team remains vigilant to quell any incidents of lawlessness. We will NOT allow chaos or disruption of business in our city and country to satisfy the bloodlust of an evil person who wants to take revenge at the expense of the people,” he said.
Source: Facebook
What Ichung’wah wanted from IG Kanja
The MP had written to Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja, urging him to strengthen security in Kikuyu, perhaps after intelligence reports suggested impending violence, whether planned or sudden.
He further claimed that DCP candidates from Nairobi and Mt Kenya were instructed to mobilize and transport mercenary gangs to Kikuyu City, adding that he had shared video evidence of this with the Inspector General.
Therefore, he appealed to IG Kanja to ensure police presence during the meeting.
However, in the opposite narrative, Gachagua claimed the thugs had been given a contract by Ichung’wah.
How Rigathi Gachagua answered Ichung’wah
He claimed that the gangs had been trained to behave in a way that showed they were supporting the opposition.
“They set fire, and destroyed heavy trucks by removing their tires, while attacking and robbing the drivers at the same time. To hide their identity and avoid blame from the Government, they chanted “WANTAM,” a slogan related to the opposition. For almost two hours, chaos reigned unchecked as there was no police presence,” Gachagua claimed.
Gachagua further claimed that the police separated themselves, forcing the ordinary citizens who came forward, moving quickly, confronting the attackers, putting out the fire, and restoring the flow of vehicles.
Only at 3:30 in the morning did the police arrive, pretending to take action after the residents had already restored order, according to Gachagua.
He urged Kanja not to allow the Kikuyu police to be deceived by these groups to disrupt his meeting.
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Source: TUKO.co.ke
