Pandemonium broke loose outside the Malindi Municipality offices on Tuesday when goons attacked and injured matatu operators, staging a strike to protest what they termed an unfair business environment.
At least three people were injured, one of them critically, as the club-wielding gang attacked the matatu operators and damaged their vehicles, which had been parked at the entrance of the municipality offices, to force the municipality management to give them an audience.
The matatu traders operating within the Malindi New Bus Park are protesting at the reluctance of the municipal authorities to force other matatu and saloon car operators to operate from the designated park.
They are also demanding the cancellation of licenses of owners of the saloon cars that pick and drop passengers like public service vehicles, claiming that the practice is adversely affecting them.
Trouble started when a gang of about ten young men, led by a personal assistant to a local Member of County Assembly (MCA), descended on the vehicles and started pelting the matatu operators and onlookers with stones before smashing the vehicle windows with the clubs.
Wananchi and journalists had to run to save their lives as the goons attacked anybody on sight before descending on owners and drivers of the matatus that had been parked strategically to block the entry of any other vehicle into the municipality offices.
Matatu operators who attempted to stop the goons from damaging the motor vehicles were beaten with one sustaining serious head injuries. He was rushed to the Malindi Sub County Hospital for treatment.
The coordinator of the Matatu Owners Association in the North Coast Region, Mr. Mohamed Badawy alias Dr Badawy, said the matatu operators wanted to seek audience with the management after their pleas to have all matatu’s operate within the bus park fell on deaf ears.
He said matatu traders operating from the bus park were opposed to a new municipal manager being deployed to the municipality, throwing their weight behind Mr. Silas Ngundo, who was recently reinstated by the Labour and Employment Court after a four-year legal battle with his employer.
The municipality has been operating under an acting manager, who has since returned to his former department, but the county government wants to replace Mr. Ngundo with a female manager from Mariakani and redeploy Ngundo to the county headquarters.
Badawy claimed that the politician was rooting for the new manager because she is closely related to the politician.
Adamson Kombe, a shuttle driver, said those operating from the bus work were at a great disadvantage because their competitors are doing business from undesignated places and warned that if the anomaly is not addressed, they would also move out of the bus park.
Abdul Hakim alias Mzee Foma, said the matatu operators had no issues with the politician and wondered why he had hired the goons to disrupt the protest, sentiments that were echoed by Ms. Hafwa Hobeni, a political activist.
Malindi Sub County Police Commander, Eng. Joss Mudavadi, confirmed the incident and said his officers were investigating the matter with a view to bringing any lawbreakers to book.
He had earlier visited the scene and told the matatu operators to remove vehicles from the main road, which they did, but chaos broke out about ten minutes after he and his officers left, thinking all was well.
Municipal askaris manning the gate watched helplessly as the goons smashed the windows of the matatus before raining terror on the matatu operators using their crude weapons.
