This archive report was first published on 12 May 2020.
On May 12, 2020, a group of 18 individuals, including an 18-year-old Tanzanian national, were arrested in Murang'a County for attempting to cross from Nairobi to their rural homes despite public health restrictions.
The group was traveling in a 2NK Sacco vehicle, which was detained at Murang'a police station. Eight of the individuals were initially picked up at a roadblock near Murang'a town, where their suspicious behavior raised concerns.
According to Murang'a County Police Commander Josphat Kinyua, the police are overwhelmed by the number of people seeking to return to work in Nairobi, despite being barred by public health restrictions.
“Murang’a police are manning eight road blocks and a foot bridge and genuine cases of sickness are allowed,” said Kinyua.
Additionally, Kinyua intervened in a tense situation between transporters and police along the Kandara-Kangari road, where a driver's tyres were deflated in Githumu. The officer in charge of Githumu Police Station had deflated the tyres, leading to a misunderstanding between the driver and the police.
However, Kinyua quickly diffused the situation, forcing the police to apologize to the driver. He explained that there was a misunderstanding between the driver and the police, and that transporters must obtain authorization to be on the road between 7 pm and 5 am.
