A protestor jumps over burning tyres in Kisumu on June 6, 2016 during anti-IEBC demos.
Transport along the Kisumu-Kakamega highway was paralysed Monday morning after youths protesting against the electoral commission blocked the road at Kibuye.
Similar incidents were witnessed in Migori County, where youths blocked all major roads in Migori Town and lit bonfires in protests against the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC).
In Kisumu, huge bonfires were set up in Kondele and Kibuye estates, in an attempt to keep off anti-riot police.
And unlike in previous protests, the youths yesterday concentrated their activities in Manyatta, Obunga and Nyalenda estates.
Supermarkets and schools remained closed ahead of the protests.
The protesters were defying an order by the police declaring the demos illegal.
Youths block a road in Migori using burning tyres and rocks on June 6, 2016 in anti-IEBC protests.
MIGORI PROTESTS
In the Migori protests, roads were blocked with boulders and burning tyres, interrupting the flow of traffic.
Matatus and private cars were kept off the roads as their owners feared they could be torched by the demonstrators, who poured into the streets from as early as 6am.
Shops, offices and banks were closed as security officers watched the protests from a distance.
All pedestrians using the affected roads were forced to carry green twigs in order to be allowed to pass through the roadblocks mounted by the protesters.
The Migori open-air market, just like the main streets, remained deserted.
Roads leading to the county government headquarters were blocked, with many county and national government workers opting to remain at home.
A woman carries a boulder as anti-IEBC protestors block a road in Kisumu on June 6, 2016.
BRIDGE TO TANZANIA BLOCKED
The main bridge linking Kenya and Tanzania was also blocked by burning makeshift kiosks, a move that paralysed transportation of goods between the two countries.
Curiously, there were no confrontations between the police and protesters in the early morning.
Migori County Police Commander David Kirui was still holed up in a meeting with top security chiefs as they planned how to contain the situation.
Similar protests were also reported in Rongo and Awendo towns.
Protestors use rocks to block a road during the Cord anti-IEBC demos in Kisumu on June 6, 2016.
PUPILS KEEP OFF SCHOOLS
At the same time, a number of school heads in Kisumu County sent messages to parents and guardians advising them not to send their children to school.
Businesses along Oginga Odinga Street were closed due to fear of looting by the demonstrators.
Traders said they opted to stay at home as a security measure.
“Last time the police raided shops and started beating people. They also destroyed our goods,” said Ms Getrude Atieno, who runs a business on the street.
Courtesy of DAILY NATION
No comments:
Post a Comment