Mathare chang’aa traders burn down school in protests – PHOTOS
Scores were injured in Mathare slums on Wednesday afternoon after chang’aa traders engaged police in running battles to protest operations against illicit brew in the area.
The traders engaged police for the better part of the day.
They erected barricades on Juja Road before burning down a private school and several houses in the area.
Reports indicate that a number of pupils were injured in the scuffle between the police and the protesters.
The operation, nicknamed ‘operation mwaga chang’aa’ started on Sunday and according to residents, the police have been raiding the area day and night.
“For two days and nights, police illegally raid people’s places of work in Mathare, destroying people’s sources of income in an illegal crackdown on alcohol. People are beaten, arrested and shot at in a gross display of power abuse by police,” said a resident.
For the better part of the day, youth’s barricaded roads and lit bonfires as they engaged police who in return lobbed tear gas to disperse them.
Police said they will not stop until the illicit business is completely eliminated.