At least 100 Mombasa traffic marshals have been ordered to keep away from the roads just a day after withdrawal of area governor Hassan Joho's bodyguards.
The marshals, who had been aiding in controlling traffic in the town, were directed to stop offering their services by the Traffic department.
The order is said to have been issued on Monday despite the officers having been useful in manning traffic snarl-ups in the busy coastal town.
Confirming the withdrawal, Mombasa County Transport and Infrastructure Executive Tawfiq Balala, said the directive was issued by area base commander.
“One of our senior askaris was called by the Nyali base commander who asked him to withdraw all the officers in his area and when we pursued it further with the seniors we were asked to remove all our askaris,” he was quoted by the Nation.
Balala decried the move, claiming that it could have been politically motivated due to the ongoing differences between the County and the National Government.
He highlighted the importance of having the inspectorate officials on the roads terming their removal as intimidation by the government.
“I can tell you for sure this is a disaster in waiting. You will see the problem in the evening. Our marshals were really assisting in dealing with jams in the city. What they are doing is bullying and sabotaging efforts by the county government,” noted Balala.
Meanwhile, Kilifi Speaker Jimmy Kahindi on Monday claimed that his guards were also withdrawn and recalled to Malindi Police Station.
