Mandera Youth Stone Cars to Protest Arrest of Colleague

Youth have protested the arrest of a colleague in Mandera town. Yesterday, they engaged the police in hide and seek game as they burnt tires and stoned vehicles and shops. They said they want their colleague, who was arrested last week, to be released.

“It is unfair for our friend to be in police cells for all that long. Why can’t the police take him to court?” said one of the youth only identified as Abdi. Most buses leaving for Nairobi delayed their departures as the main road in town remained closed.

Mandera town police boss Jacktone Rotich said 15 people were arrested during yesterday’s demonstration and charged in court in the afternoon. “Our officers had minor injuries but one person was seriously injured and taken to hospital. One vehicle was damaged,” he said.

Rotich said the suspect, who was arrested last week, is in their custody awaiting a sworn in affidavit from Nairobi. He appealed to Mandera East locals to observe the law when seeking police assistance and not to demonstrate for their grievances to be heard.

“Let people seek explanation from the police in a soberly,” Rotich said. Rotich said they had kept the suspect for longer than the constitutionally-defined time for which a suspect should be taken to court after the arrest.

He said this is because getting a sworn affidavit from Nairobi was the challenge and that the investigator had to complete his probe. The suspect works in town with Nairobi-bound buses. Sources said he has been instrumental in transporting foreigners into Nairobi.