From: Leo Odera Omolo
Date: Wed, Oct 28, 2009 at 12:48 PM
Writes Leo Odera Omolo In Kisumu City.
FOR the third consecutive running days, police in Kisumu were engaged in a running battle with rowdy youths who had blockaded the Kisumu- Kakamega highway during the busy morning hours, demanding to be paid levies by Matatu operators.
Motorists driving into town during busy morning hours could not accesses the main Kisumu Bus terminal nor the City Centre, as the rowdy youth, numbering about 600 to 1000, insisted they had been licensed to collect levies from public passenger vehicles.
Other motorists driving into town from Kiboswa, Majengo, Mbale and Kakamega had a lot of difficulties accesses sing the main bus terminal and the town centre. The youth had lit bonfire of burning old tyres, and went as far as turning away the motorists who could not succumb to their demand. The youth claimed, they had been licensed by the Kisumu Town Council and the government to collect the levies from motorists., a claim which was promptly denied by those authorities.
The police later confiscated some document the youth were purporting to be licenses as the battle stage raged on. Those fleeing from the police vented their angers on petty traders and kiosk owners. They set several kiosks on fire as they fled from the battle field.
The confrontation forced the Kisumu police to call for re-enforcement of more officers from other stations and the GSU. Most of the youth appeared to be excessively intoxicated and drunk.
Some of the residents were heard complaining bitterly and blaming the government for having relaxed its rule and governance. “It is wrong for a government to allow a bunch of unruly youths to harass its citizens and taxpayers like this”, remarked one prominent Kisumu businessman, who resides at Mamboleo. He said his vehicle had all the necessary road licenses, insurance and all the documents , but he was held at Kondele for close to three hours by unruly youths who demanded that he must part with 50/- before being allowed to pro0ceed on.
“Those who refused to succumb to the youths demands had their vehicles windscreen smashed or damaged. This is no different from the “Mungiki style of extortion”, said another Kisumu resident from Kajulu.
The incident has since reduced the volume of businesses in the City ‘s Central Business District [CBD} since Monday as it affects an important business route for the town.
Most towns and market places in Western Province and part of Western Rift Valley depend on Kisumu for the supplies of shop goods and services. The government, said a group of traders, must ensure that this important supply road is secured and the traffic flow is free and uninterrupted.
Matatu drivers operating on this route claimed they are being forced even to surrender their vehicles under the management of these youths. “They are the ones choosing the persons we must employ as drivers and conductors for us, but when our vehicles get involved in accidents or something goes wrong, these youth do abandon the vehicles by the road side and disappear”.
It is even much more pathetic, because the Matatu operators paid for all the road licenses to the government. But in Kondele, they are required to part with much higher fees to these illegal tax collectors.
A number of the stall and kiosk owners at Kondele market claimed their shops were looted by the fleeing youth, after losing the battle with the police. Some of them set houses on fire and threatened traders with serious consequences for their cooperation with the police.
One prominent trader at Kibuye market called upon the government to scuttle the groups, which run a parallel government. These youth must be discouraged as they would easily make Kenya an ungovernable place.
Ends
leooderaomolo@yahoo.com
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Subject: POLICE IN KISUMU HAD TO BATTLE WITH MUNGIKI STYLE YOUTH TO RE-OPEN THE KISUMU-KAKAMEGA HGHWAY WHICH WAS BLOCKED BY ROWDY YOUTHS.AND EXTORTIONISTS
How pathetic and this is a the city that Kofi Annan chose as one of the top 7 in Africa…..Half the citizens are acting like conmen with the “gonya” attitude, when did we sink so low,business people are harassed in broad daylight, Indians misbehave and control too much illegally and more jails need to be made in 4 corners of Kenya to put corrupt and thieves and make them work hard building roads and farming so that they will know when you go to jail it is not a holiday, wake the daily at 4am and we could have a top country with the best roads and ample food. Since a huge part of the population is behaving like conmen let them pay.
the mungiki style youth in ksm should keep up coz we will soon need them to also get back what is ours. liberation is a must si tumechoka na wazee wajinga tuu. fluke leaders, no vision for the youths. ksm wa’ngni din uru kabisa, hata pirates ni members, mingingo ni yetu!
Its simple. You laugh away Mungiki because you thought it was a Kikuyu problem. All your MPs are masters in the game. As extortionists, it was only going to be a matter of time before Kisumu ups the ante. Wait until it dawns on you what it means to have an army of dark, black, tall, hungry unemployed men infront of your gate.
Ha. Its Mungiki everywhere or nothing anywhere for the young people.