Thika superhighway blocked, shots fired as Githurai residents battle police over alleged coronavirus curfew killings in Nairobi, Kenya

Thika superhighway blocked as residents battle police over alleged curfew killings

Charles Ouma

March 29, 2020 4:45 PM

Githurai residents took to the streets to protest alleged killings by brutal police officers enforcing the coronavirus curfew

File image of past protests along Thika superhighway. An irate mob blocked blocked the superhighway and engaged police in runnig battles on Sunday, 29 March 2020

Protests rocked Githurai as an irate mob took on the police along the Thika Superhighway.

Reports indicate that the residents were protesting the excessive force used by the police in enforcing the 7pm-5am curfew with some accusing the police of killing several youth while enforcing mandatory 7 p.m. to 5 a.m. curfew on Saturday night, March 28.

So far, no confirmed death as a result of the police brutality has been reported.

Traffic along the busy Thika superhighway was disrupted as the youth engaged the police in running battles.

A section of the mob took advantage of the situation, robbing pedestrians and smashing stones into any car they came across.

As soon as the chaos broke out, message went round on social media, warning motorists to avoid Thika road.

File image of past protests along Thika superhighway. An irate mob blocked blocked the superhighway and engaged police in runnig battles on Sunday, 29 March 2020 Pulse Live Kenya

"Avoid Thika road, Githurai. apparently three people were killed yesterday for loitering at night. The road has been blocked by rowdy youths and vehicles being smashed with stones," posted one user on Twitter.

Police contaid the situation and normalcy returned shortly afterwards.

The first day of the partial curfew instituted by President Uhuru Kenyatta to contain the Coronavirus pandemic was arked by police brutality as the men in uniform descended on unlucky Kenyans who were not at home after 7PM-5AM curfew came into place.

In what human rights activists maintain was blatant disregard of the law, police officers across the country were caught on camera whipping and harassing Kenyans.

Not even the glaring cameras could deter the police officers. Among those caught up in the night of terror were motorists and pedestrians who opted to walk home after public service vehicles kept off the road as soon as the curfew set in.

Even essential food and delivery service providers who were exempted from the curfew met the wrath of the marauding officers.

Charles Ouma