Residents warned after police officer, 2 boda bodas are hurt in clashes
Marsabit County Police Commander Robinson Mboloi is during a press briefing in his office on August 23, 2022. He warned the residents against engaging police officers in battles.
Marsabit residents have been warned against taking the law into their own hands after they pelted police vehicles with stones, leaving two officers injured.
There were running battles between unruly boda boda operators and police officers in Sololo town in Moyale sub-county, leading to injuries and the destruction of police vehicles.
Marsabit Police Commander Robinson Mboloi told the Nation that the chaos erupted when officers on patrol tried to arrest a boda boda operator who was trying to sneak in petrol from neighbouring Ethiopia.
“Chaos erupted when a boda boda operator who was trying to sneak in contraband goods from Ethiopia tried to escape from the police. We warn the boda boda operators to always seek redress through the appropriate channels,” Mr Mboloi said.
Upon seeing the police officers, the operator made a U-turn in an attempt to escape, prompting the officers to give chase. He then fell from the motorcycle.
Ganged up
The operators were enraged when one of them was injured during the chase. They ganged up and engaged the officers in running battles.
They threw stones at a police vehicle, breaking the windscreen and windows.
When the area sub-county police commander arrived with another team of officers to help their beleaguered colleagues, the youths also broke the windscreen and windows of his vehicle.
It was at that point that the law enforcers started shooting in the air to scare away the rowdy youths, who also attempted to set the Sololo Police Station on fire before they were dispersed.
Mr Mboloi urged locals to resolve conflicts amicably instead of causing mayhem that could result in deaths.
He also warned residents against destroying government property.
He said the boda boda operator who was injured when he fell from his motorcycle was admitted to Sololo Mission Hospital.
Smuggling contraband
The police had not established whether he was a Kenyan or an Ethiopian citizen, he added.
He will be charged with smuggling contraband into Kenya after he is discharged from the hospital.
Sololo Mission Hospital CEO Michael Mugo said two patients were admitted to the facility following the chaos.
One had a fracture in one arm that was caused by a bullet, he said.
He was transferred to Marsabit Referral Hospital for specialised treatment.
The other had bruises and was in a stable out of danger.
