Motorists, police officers arrested for colluding to beat roadblock
Police on Wednesday arrested 64 people, including police officers, for bribing their way past a roadblock imposed to enforce cessation of movement into and out of Nairobi Metropolitan area to tame the Covid-19 pandemic.
Those arrested included 16 drivers and 48 passengers who allegedly tried to bribe security officers at Blue Post roadblock in Thika, Kiambu County.
BEATING ROADBLOCK
Four officers, who were tasked to enforce the road block, were also arrested.
According to Murang’a County Police Commander Josephat Kinyua, most of the vehicles were carrying passengers not involved in provision of essential services which is against the law.
“Today we have impounded 16 cars for trying to bribe our officers who man this roadblock in order to pass,” said Kinyua.
Those arrested were taken to Thika Police Station for processing and will be arraigned in court on Thursday for flouting Covid-19 containment measures and attempted bribery.
Kinyua urged officers manning roadblocks enforcing the order to only allow deserving cases.
SNEAKING OUT
Movement in and out of the Nairobi metropolitan area, Mombasa and Mandera counties remains forbidden for non-essential service providers to fight transmission of Covid-19.
However, there have been cases of persons sneaking in and out of these regions, with the Ministry of Health blaming this for the spread of the coronavirus upcountry.
President Uhuru Kenyatta early this month extended the curfew order for 30 days following increased cases of infection.
The president also lifted the order in Kilifi and Kwale counties and revised the curfew hours across the country.
On Wednesday, the Ministry of Health confirmed 254 new cases in the country, raising the total number of cases to 5,206.