The Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA) issued a traffic advisory for motorists travelling on the Nairobi-Nakuru Highway on Wednesday, February 28. The advisory warned drivers about a potential traffic jam in the Soko Mjinga area.
KeNHA acknowledged that the road had been earlier barricaded by residents who were protesting outside the Soko Mjinga Police Station.
Reports on the snarl-up indicate that the residents demanded the release of a suspect detained at the police station after a failed mob justice attempt.
However, KeNHA has reported that the police have dispersed the protesters and are in the process of restoring traffic flow.
In its advisory, the authority cautioned, “Motorists plying this route are advised to exercise caution and observe traffic controls. We highly regret any inconvenience caused.”
A spot check by Kenyans.co.ke on the cause of the protests revealed that the residents had earlier gotten a hold of the aforementioned suspect and were in the process of beating him up in a mission to kill him.
Further information indicates that the suspect had been arrested over charges of sexual assault of five females on different occasions.
The residents decried that the suspect who was allegedly a repeat offender, was a danger to society and shouldn’t be allowed to live.
It was alleged that the suspect had assaulted his niece and killed her before escaping his home in Gatundu.
Further, the residents opined that the man had attempted to commit a similar offence, by following a woman to a washroom, before his arrest.
The suspect is still withheld in the station pending investigations into the charges that he will face, however, police, are yet to speak on the matter at the time of publication of this article.
Nairobi-Nakuru highway which is one of the busiest highways is prone to traffic snarl-ups, with motorists being forced to spend hours in traffic in case of any disruptions.
