Chaos engulfed a section of Thika Road after rowdy youth descended on passengers, motorists, and shops, stealing and looting after President William Ruto’s tour of Mathare and its environs.
Footage obtained by Kenyans.co.ke showed the youth storming shops with others attacking motorists on the Thika Super Highway, rendering sections of the road impassable.
The actions of the rowdy youths saw sections of Thika Road, particularly Outering Road, from Survey to the Kariobangi Roundabout, as well as Utalii College rendered impassable.
The footage showed groups of youths stoning motorists and attacking pedestrians, prompting many drivers to make U-turns as businesses closed hurriedly.
The new development comes amidst Ruto’s tour of the area where he championed his development agenda. His journey saw him traverse several areas around Mathare as he headed towards Ruaraka.
The area of Mathare has been known to be a politically volatile region, and this was no different as some youths took the opportunity to use Ruto’s visit to cause chaos. By the time of publishing, the police were yet to restore order in the affected areas.
The exact cause of the chaos remained unclear, but preliminary reports indicate poor organisation of the President’s tour led to motorists and pedestrians trapped in Mathare, a town with a high crime rate, at the mercy of youths.
The end result was destruction of property, injuries, and a disruption in normal operations in Mathare and its environs.
Some of the affected Kenyans had to take refuge in nearby petrol stations as the insecurity left them stranded.
Ruto’s tour in Mathare was also marred by a case of area Member of Parliament Anthony Olouch being heckled by his area residents in the presence of the head of state.
The MP had been allowed to speak by Deputy President Kithure Kindiki, but as soon as he was handed the microphone, the crowd turned hostile, jeering him.
When he rose up to speak, Olouch was immediately met by an irate crowd in his constituency who engaged in chants of “Olouch Must Go!”.
Footage obtained by Kenyans.co.ke showed Olouch pressing on in his address, oblivious to what was happening around him as Ruto, Kindiki, Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja, Nairobi Women Representative Esther Passaris, and nominated Senator Karen Nyamu looked on.
