Two boys killed over truckful of waste food
Two street children were killed at Naivas Eastgate compound following a fight over a truck transporting waste food.
The fight between a group from Dandora and another from Bahati in Eastlands was an explosion of old rivalry.
Police from the Caltex police post at Donholm said the groups fought over a truck that was heading to Dandora from the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport.
“This truck was loaded with food that had been meant for export, but was rejected,” explained an police officer.
The warring camps followed the truck all the way from Airport Road. All the while, the boys were fighting and they caused a massive traffic jam.
“Motorists came to report here (Caltex Police Post) that their cars had been stoned, but we referred them to Buruburu Police Station as this falls under their division,” added the officer.
He said the groups were acting on a tip-off that the truck would be passing there at a particular time, therefore bringing the groups face to face, with each looking to take control of the truck’s contents.
The clashes came to a head at the Doonholm roundabout around 3pm when the two sides, armed with guns and knives turned on each other.
Buruburu police chief Richard Kerich said the clashes led the public to believe that they were thieves. “We were alerted of clashes at the roundabout and we rushed to the scene where a shootout ensued between the armed urchins and the police,” said Kerich.
Each side had about five members.
Witness accounts from traders operating by the Naivas perimeter wall said the public ran for shelter and two of the street urchins ran for cover inside the Eastgate compound during the shootout last Saturday afternoon.
“When some street boys were cornered between Naivas supermarket and Boma building,” said the officer, “they were gunned down.”
Two knives
“We recovered a bonoko (homemade) pistol, a gun and two knives from those shot in the compound and arrested some of those outside the supermarket area as well”, said Kerich.
A witness, however, claims to have seen two suspects get away on a bodaboda heading in the direction of Kangundo Road.
The suspects who had been shot died on the way to the Mama Lucy Kibaki Hospital, where they were being taken for treatment.
The truck driver was not available to comment.
Incidents of goods trucks being vandalised by groups of street urchins from Dandora have been common.
Matatu conductors who operate along Donholm roundabout-Umoja route all said that these incidents were common.
“These young men would time the trucks, climb onto the rear door and unlock the padlocks to unload the contents,” said one trader.
He added that there are other urchins who wait by the road for the goods to be offloaded and they make away with them.