A multi-agency security Committee has indefinitely suspended scrap metal business in Makueni County.
The committee further directed that all scrap metal dealers in Makueni County will have to be vetted a fresh to establish whether they have licenses allowing them to do the business in the area.
“All scrap mental traders will present themselves before the Sub county security intelligence committee to be vetted a fresh. Our investigations have shown that many who are doing this business have no licenses. Only those who have genuine licenses will be allowed to do the business,” said Makueni County Commissioner (CC) Mr. Maalim Mohammed while reading the resolutions of the Multi-agency Committee meeting he chaired at (SGR) Station in Mtito Andei.
During the meeting, the members also resolved that the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) corridor was a restricted area noting herders should not graze their animals as they risked prosecution.
The resolutions were reached after SGR was vandalized on November 22, 2021 at Mwanza in Kinyambu Location in Machinery Division that resulted in the delay of railway services for over two hours during the fateful day.
Mohammed disclosed that Michael Mbevi (scrap dealer) and Nicodemus Cheupe (lorry driver) have been arrested while saying that the court has allowed them to hold the culprits for some time as they conducted investigations.
The administrator termed the vandalism of SGR as an act of terrorism that was geared towards derailing the economy of the country.
“This was pure sabotage that was geared towards interfering with the economy of this country. Somebody had decided to kill passengers so that they taint Kenya. The aim was to ensure the train derails and lose lives,” he observed.
Further the County Commissioner revealed that the chiefs and their assistants along Mukaa, Nzaui, Makindu and Kibwezi Sub counties would continue holding barazas to educate wananchi on the importance of SGR.
Mohammed also said that the multi-agency committee would be holding quarterly meetings to discuss matters concerning the SGR security.
Also, the deputy county commissioners from the sub-counties were expected to come up with action plans within three days on how they were going to cover the 234 kilometres stretch of SGR to prevent any further vandalism incidents from happening in future.
Those present included Kenya Railways Security Manager Mark Murkomen, Patrick Tito Commandant Railways, Police Commander SGR, County Security Intelligence Committee and Sub County Intelligence Committee members from the four sub counties and chiefs.
By Patrick Nyakundi
