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Traders flee to police station over incitement to violence in Kericho

DCI moved in swiftly and arrested the suspect who threatened eviction of the traders before the upcoming General Election

Kericho

Police in Kericho County have confirmed having intervened after a group of fruit vendors rushed to a police station fearing for their lives.

The traders indicated having received threats, that they perceived to be credible, from a suspect who has since been arrested.

The suspect threatened the fruit vendors saying that the traders would be ejected from the county before the upcoming General Election.

The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) confirmed that the suspect identified as Kipruto Vincent Koech threatened fruit vendors operating at a petrol station in Kericho town, telling them that their days in the county are numbered.

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“A man is in custody on incitement to violence charges, after he threatened fruit vendors at a petrol station in Kericho town, that they would be ejected from the county, before the forthcoming general election.

“The man who is a tout had commandeered his vehicle - a matatu registration number KCW 131D - blocking the vendors' wares, leading to a protest from the fruit vendors based at Jumbo Petrol station. As the vendors asked the matatu driver to give them some space to attend to their customers, the tout shouted them down telling them that their days in the county were numbered, as they would be ejected before the forthcoming general election. This alarmed the fruit vendors who have operated their businesses at the petrol station for the past 20 years," read the statement from the DCI.

Fearing for their lives, the fruit vendors rushed to a nearby police station where they filed the report, leading to the arrest of the tout.

"They rushed to Kericho police station fearing for their lives and filed their reports leading to the arrest of the tout, Kipruto Vincent Koech. The suspect is currently in custody facing incitement to violence charges," added the statement from DCI.

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This comes as political temperatures continue to rise across the country with authorities working round the clock to ensure that Kenya remains peaceful before, during and after the August 9, 2022 elections.

This was reiterated by Interior CS Fred Matiangi: "Let us not divide our people during this campaign period. We need peace above everything else. As security sector custodians, we have made the necessary preparations to answer to every call by @IEBCKenya during the elections and transition of power."

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