Narok County Commissioner Kipkech Lotiatia is now calling on parents to guide and caution their children against engaging in violence during demonstrations as they would be forcefully evicted from the streets.
Lotiatia observed Tuesday’s demonstrations against the 2024 Finance Bill that started very peacefully but ended up in violence as some criminals, purporting to be peaceful demonstrators, started engaging the police in running battles that saw one dead and 20 others among them the police officers left nursing injuries.
“Let parents sit down with their children and reason out with them, because some children are deceived to do evil things because of peer pressure. What we saw yesterday was not peaceful demonstrations,” he said.
The CC said the police were ready to protect and escort the demonstrators in a peaceful manner, if they were demonstrating in peace but warned that if they engaged in violence, they would face the force of the police.
“We have no problem with the demonstrators because it is their constitutional right. But if the demonstrators start causing chaos, we have no choice but to protect the residents,” he said.
The demonstrations saw a contingent of police officers engage in running battles with the young people for over four hours.
The demonstrators began peacefully but at around 3pm, they turned violent and started throwing stones at the men in uniform and blocked major roads.
This forced the police to attempt to remove them from the town but the hundreds of youth were determined to cause mayhem in the busy town.
Later at night, they broke into a shoe shop next to Quick Mart supermarket and looted all the goods in the shop.
Motorists plying the Narok- Bomet highway were forced to pay Sh100 to the young people who had barricaded the road so as to drive along the road.
Tourists heading to the Maasai Mara National Reserve were also delayed as the youngsters barricaded the road.
By Ann Salaton
