West Pokot Governor Prof. John Lonyang’apuo yesterday evening stormed the Safari Hotel roadblock along the Kitale-Lodwar highway to free a boda-boda rider who was confronted and beaten by police officers manning the road in the ongoing PSV operator’s crackdown.
The rider Mr. Leonard Powen who was carrying onions from Ortum Market to Kapenguria was stopped by the police who started harassing him and tied him with handcuffs on the motorbike.
Earlier during the day the boda-boda and vehicle operators had a conflict with the police at Marich on the same road whereby the operators were clobbered leading to youths to barricade the road and burned tires protest over police harassment.
The furious embattled governor removed the metal devices from the roadblocks telling the police officers on the road to leave the place.
Journalists were also got up in the mess as police officers harassed them for taking photos.
This comes after area leaders led by Kapenguria member of Parliament Mr. Samuel Moroto and area members of County assembly protested over protested over alleged police harassment, brutality, and corruption in the ongoing PSV operator’s crackdown in the area.
They faulted the police for taking advantage of the crackdown to take bribes and harass youths in the area.
Governor Lonyangapuo moved to Chepareria , Ortum ,Chepareria roadblocks and Ortum police station where operators and vehicles and motorbikes and vehicles had been nabbed accused the security team working in the County for putting up many roadblocks on roads in the area.
The drama attracted a huge crowd at the police station.
“We want the Police Commander Mr. Mathew Kuto to remove all illegal road blocks in this area and leave only two at Tartar and Marich. This is a peculiar county. There are more than twenty roadblocks in the area. This is not Somalia. How can the police make a governor useless in his home ground? he asked.
The County expressed fear that the crackdown has affected revenue collection `in the County leading to many youths who were engaged in the transport business to go back to cattle rustling and banditry activities.
“The government is making the police to and youths to suffer because the traffic rules are being enforced badly. The police take Ksh 1000 from each rider”, he said.
He said that police officers have been clobbering the riders and also impounding their motorcycles which are thereafter taken to police stations and others to the general store despite the Interior Cabinet Secretary Dr. Fred Matiang’i allowed boda-boda riders to comply with the traffic rules known as Michuki rules by January next year but the police are still harassing them.
“Matiang’i and Boinett should come and train the youths first and take the police to Apuke and Kamlogon where police there is insecurity challenge. They are reviving dead wounds. Am reading malice in the crackdown because it seems there is someone who is not happy about peace in this area,” he said.
Mr. Moroto said that 80% of vehicles plying roads in the area belong to police officers.
“The youths have turned back to regressive practices and crimes in the area. The Government should understand the history of West Pokot. This was a closed district. We want the police who took the key of a vehicle carrying female students who had finished exams to be investigated. This is a dangerous time for young girls who are at risk of early pregnancies.W e want the County commander, County commissioner and Base commander to intervene in the matter,” said Moroto.
Moroto accused the Traffic police, administration police and National police Reservists for mistreating boda-boda, vehicle drivers and conductors operating on roads in the area.
He called on the government to extend the period for boda-boda riders to comply with the traffic rules.
Mr. Moroto promised to allocate funds from the CDF Kitty to offer training and pay for driving licenses for drivers.
“We as leaders and the County government will cooperate to help the youths,” he said.
He accused the security team for using National Police Reservists[NPR] on roadblock who have not been trained.
“Theft has started and we want the government to review the Michuki rules,” said Moroto.
However, Speaking to the Nation, West Pokot Traffic Base commander Mr. Elijah Teeka dismissed the allegations saying those yapping have not been following the road rules
