Migori residents clash with police enforcing Covid protocols

Residents of Migori have been warned against attacking police officers who are enforcing Covid-19 containment measures in the county.

Migori is among 13 counties in the lake region where curfew starts at 7pm. The curfew restriction starts at 10pm in the rest of the counties.

President Uhuru Kenyatta escalated containment measures in the lake region following the outbreak of the Delta variant of the Covid-19.

The orders run until July 31.

The President ordered the closure of churches and banned livestock markets.

Other counties in the lake region where the orders apply include Busia, Vihiga, Kisii, Nyamira, Kakamega, Kericho, Bomet, Bungoma, Trans-Nzoia, Kisumu, Siaya and Homa-Bay.

They were all classified as Covid-19 hotspots.

But residents of Migori have turned against officers enforcing the protocols. There was violence when a group of youths attacked police officers enforcing the curfew orders.

“The role of the police is very clear that they execute their mandate with reasonable force and for the community to ensure they abide by the rule of law because it is a collective responsibility and we won’t take lightly any assault on security officers,” Migori county commissioner Meru Mwangi said.

He said the containment protocols were a presidential directive that must be implemented.

He said the guidelines are meant to safeguard public health and not to punish anyone or a region.

“Some people will think that common sense is no longer common. They will rush or put on their face masks because they have seen a police officer. The time for curfew is clearly stipulated. It is for the benefit of all of us all,” Mwangi said.

On Saturday night, officers from Kehancha police station were attacked at Ikerege trading centre and Kehancha town in separate incidents as they attempted to arrest revellers who had locked themselves inside pubs to continue drinking into curfew hours.

Kehancha police station boss Tom Boino said the revellers pelted a police vehicle with stones, broke its windows and hurt officers. Some used knives to cut a canvas as they attempted to stab the officers.

Some 10 people were arrested and three motorbikes were impounded. Officers recovered two knives.

Police are also holding a suspect at Kehancha police station after he was found with two schoolgirls.

The man was nabbed at around midnight after the car in which they were travelling broke down along the Kehancha-Isebania road as they were coming from a party.

Kuria West police boss Cleti Kimaiyo confirmed the incidents. He said they have been forced to break into private homes and lodgings which have been turned in drinking venues past curfew hours.

“As police, we will never relent in enforcing laws and we have apprehended several suspects who resist arrest. In some cases, police have been forced to break doors and windows to arrest suspects,” Kimaiyo said.

Speaking to reporters at the county commissioners’ office in Migori town, Woman Representative Pamela Odhiambo said the deliberate effort to flout the Covid-19 protocols was worrying.

She called for collaboration to curb the spread of the virus.

Earlier this month, security officers held a meeting with residents at Dede center to quell tension after locals stoned a police vehicle after officers had tried to disperse people from a livestock market.

They were not wearing masks.

In Rongo town, police have severally been forced to shoot in the air to disperse boda boda riders who want to operate past curfew hours.

“We have tried severally to ensure business operators, residents and police co-exist jointly and we also strive to ensure complaints of excessive use of force and corruption are dealt with,” Odhiambo said.

But traders who spoke to the Star complained of constant harassment by police officers whom they also accused of demanding bribes.

Chacha Rantai who owns The Digital Pub in Ikerege center where patrons clashed with police said those people who were locked in the pub were boarders at the lodging.

“We face constant harassment from police and we are afraid of rising complaints for further attack. My premises have been attacked thrice and revellers harassed,” Rantai said.

Charles Odhiambo, a trader in Dede area blamed the police accusing officers of looking for bribes in the name of enforcing Covid-19 containment protocols.