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Police seize matatus in road protest


More than 100 matatus were impounded and 33 drivers arrested for violating traffic laws after Wednesday’s strike.

Nairobi traffic enforcement officer Edward Mwamburi said the drivers would be charged with obstruction, which attracts a Sh50,000 fine or up to one year in jail.

Highway Patrol Unit’s Charles Keittany said by abandoning their vehicles on the roads, the matatus had broken another law.

The 111 impounded vehicles’ number plates were plucked off and then towed to police stations in Nairobi on the orders of Police Inspector-General David Kimaiyo.

The Traffic Act outlaws obstruction or abandoning a vehicle on a road and empowers the court to fine a first offender Sh50,000 or a year in jail.

Catch a train

As inconvenienced Nairobians trooped to railway stations to catch the train to work, General Service Unit officers were sent to beef up the Railway Police Unit.

Railways Police Commandant Kirimi Ringera said the GSU was posted after Rift Valley Railways, which runs commuter trains around Nairobi, indicated an upsurge in the number of travellers.

He estimated that over 50,000 commuters used the trains Wednesday morning.

“Management increased trips and wagons on some routes. With the GSU, we have enough security to ensure rail transport is not disrupted,” Mr Ringera said.

In a statement, railway management said new trains were introduced on Embakasi, Kahawa and Dagoretti routes on Wednesday.