Criminals who have been staging demos with the aim of breaking into people’s businesses have nowhere to operate from, Nyeri County Commissioner Josephat Biwott has warned.
Biwott noted that looters have in the past been leading demos or joining peaceful ones with the sole intention of stealing or vandalizing people’s property, leaving traders counting losses running into millions in lost earnings.
The administrator said while the Constitution gives citizens the right to picket, it doesn’t in any way give room for anyone or a group of persons to enjoy that right at the expense of others.
He has cited the recent protests witnessed in the county over the cost of fuel as a case in point, where looters took over entire towns for hours, paralyzing businesses and bringing public transport to a standstill.
“As members of the County Security Team, we have vowed to put an end to this hooliganism by goons who are stealing and destroying people’s businesses in the name of protests.
We have sat with our business operators and officials from the Kenya National Chamber of Commerce and Industries and agreed to put an end to this madness,” said Biwott while addressing the public during this year’s 63rd Madaraka Day celebrations at Muthuaini Girls Secondary School grounds.
“There is no country where protesters are given liberty to burn tires on roads, disrupt traffic, and block even an elderly woman taking her milk to the market all in the name of fighting for one’s rights. Lawful protest does not entail curtailing the other person’s rights,” he said.
The County Commissioner also called upon the members of the public to assist the government in enhancing security in their area of residence by reporting lawbreakers to security officers.
Biwott said while security officers will do their part in apprehending lawbreakers, it remains the responsibility of the citizens to volunteer any information that will assist in disclosing the whereabouts of such criminals.
“To dismantle this problem of goons from our county, we must expose them to law enforcers. Do not protect goons. We have information that some of these criminals are hiding in our informal centers such as Witemere and Majengo, and we would like you to help us smoke them out,” he urged.
On student discipline, the administrator urged parents and guardians to be at the forefront in talking to their children and guiding them to become responsible adults.
He said correct mentorship of a child always begins at home, and as such, parents have the biggest role in ensuring their children get the right education before stepping out into society.
“As parents, let’s talk to our children and guide them to avert scenarios such as the one that took place at Gilgil Utumishi Girls Secondary School. Whatever transpired in that school was both traumatizing and unfortunate? We don’t want to witness such a scenario again in any of our schools. Discipline starts at home, and therefore, let us take our responsibility by monitoring our children at all times,” he stated.
The county commissioner also announced plans to hold an education stakeholders meeting starting Tuesday to help address some of the issues that could be fomenting lawlessness in schools.
Another meeting is also scheduled on June 19, which will be a follow-up on tomorrow’s forum. Among issues to be deliberated during both meetings are standard operating procedures and safety precautions in all learning institutions.
Biwott also assured the public of the government’s commitment to availing services to them and urged them to take advantage of such services for the betterment of their lives.
“The government has brought services closer to the mwananachi, and it is up to you and me to go for them. Right now we have the Affordable Housing program and the Social Health Authority, programmes which are at the doorstep of every Kenyan. I urge you to take advantage of the programs and ignore those who are misleading others by reading politics about every government project,” he pointed out.
By Samuel Maina and Sharon Nashipae
