There was heavy traffic on Thika Road, Roysambu area, after a trailer ferrying relief food to the North Eastern Counties overturned on Tuesday afternoon, March 8.
According to the Kasarani OCPD Peter Mwanzo, the incident turned ugly after would-be rescuers started looting the rice and beans food packages stored in 50kg bags.
A video seen by Kenyans.co.ke showed tens of pedestrians running away with the cargo - with the GOK logo being conspicuously visible.
A private motorist was spotted loading some of the bags into his car while another Passenger Service Vehicle (PSV)vehicle was captured as it stopped and its passengers disembarked to engage in the melee.
Mwanzo confirmed that a number of the looters have been nabbed by police officers. Motorists were encouraged to avoid the area and use alternative routes due to the huge traffic snarl-up that was yet to be cleared at the time of publishing this story.
The incident comes barely days after President Uhuru Kenyatta flagged off a consignment of emergency relief supplies to 23 arid and semi-arid counties affected by drought to benefit 2.3 million Kenyans in the affected counties.
Speaking at State House, Uhuru reaffirmed the government's commitment on implementing interventions that will build resilience in all vulnerable households.
He added that his administration had released Ksh2 billion to assist the affected households through relief food distribution, water trucking, and a livestock uptake program.
Cases of Kenyans looting from trailers or trucks ferrying goods that get involved in road carnage have been on the rise, particularly along Thika Road. In August 2021, a commotion was witnessed in Roysambu after a truck ferrying beer was involved in road carnage.
A tussle ensued between police officers and area residents who were looting from the truck that had overturned after it veered off the superhighway. Police officers were forced to lob to disperse the crowd.
Severally, the government has strongly spoken against the cropping behaviour. Apart from ignoring drivers of the trucks whose lives could be at risk, the perpetrators may be putting their lives on the line, especially in cases involving oil tankers.
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