Nairobi News

NewsWhat's Hot

Why private cars were towed in crackdown on carwash operators – PHOTOS


Police on Monday joined officials from the Kenya Urban Roads Authority (Kura) in a crackdown on carwash premises built on the city’s road corridors.

The operation led to the arrest of illegal carwash operators and towing of private vehicles that were found parked in the premises of the carwashes.

Kura had last month issued an eviction notice to all businesses located along roads under its jurisdiction.

Carwashes on the Western Ring Roads like Olenguroune Road, Oloitoktok Road, Kileleshwa and Kilimani were given the eviction notice on June 27.

Kenyans online questioned why private vehicles why being towed in an operation that targeted illegal carwash operators.

IGNORE PUBLIC WARNING

The Authority’s head of Corporate Communication John Cheboi told Nairobi News that owners of the towed vehicles were deemed to have ignored a public warning to car owners not to seek the washing services of youths operating on road corridors.

“They will be charged alongside the carwash owners because we had issued prior warnings that were ignored. The carwashes cause some cracks and when the water percolates, it goes into the base, it weakens it, resulting into potholes,” he said.

Other roads in the city that have been encroached by illegal carwashes include one in Kibra, where Mr Cheboi said a bus stage has been turned into a carwash, weakening the road’s base.

“We have written to the county government to help by not licensing carwashes that are next to roads and lack drainage facilities. We are first starting with evicting those occupying road corridors without licenses,” said Mr Cheboi.