NAKURU, KENYA, Nov, 18 – Chaotic scenes were witnessed in Nakuru town Wednesday morning after an attempt by matatu operators to enter the Central Business District was thwarted by police officers.
Transport was disrupted and business premises closed as the operators protesting their eviction from the town engaged police in running battles.
The operators had in the morning occupied the CBD bus terminus despite the existence of an active ban preventing them from operating within the town centre.
Police officers were forced to fire live bullets in the air to disperse the rowdy operators who were charging towards them while hurling stones.
The scuffle saw a number of travel signage impounded with Sacco managers expected to record statements over the incident.
Despite this matatu operators say an earlier court order allowed them to resume business within the Nakuru CBD.
Police however said the alleged court order was fake.
“The governor is using police to intimidate us. We will not have it, we want the President to intervene, ” Solomon Mbatiah, one of the aggrieved matatu operator said.
Florence Waithera, another operator, accused Nakuru Governor Lee Kinyanjui of operating the “county as his own private entity without consulting residents and the business community.”
The operators say that the county government must invest heavily in boosting security and providing social amenities at the relocated bus parks since it is not yet conducive for business.
They’re are now threatening of stopping paying license fees if their pleas are not heard.
Police have since launched investigations on the source of the fake court order that allegedly directed Matatus operators be granted permission to resume operations within the Central Business District.
The probe was launched after it was established that a magistrate court order had allegedly been forged.
The order in possession of matatu officials had a fifth segment directing that they be allowed back to their bus terminus in the CBD pending hearing and determination of the case.
However, the court’s registry reveals that the order issued last week on Friday had no such directive.
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