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Two police officers injured after lorry rams roadblock on Thika road


Two police officers were on Monday night injured, one seriously, after a lorry rammed a police vehicle at a barricade erected at G.S.U Drift Area on Thika Road during curfew time.

Kasarani SCPC Peter Mwanzo, while confirming the incident, said the incident occurred at around 10:30pm when a lorry which had three occupants travelling from Thika direction to Nairobi hit a stationary police lorry leaving the two officers injured.

“The said Mitsubishi FH lorry hit police motor vehicle GKB 384T Isuzu Canter NPR, which was static and parked at the side of the road. As a result of the accident PC Joseph Kiminda had a skull and right-hand fractures while CPL Geoffrey Sigolia sustained a left leg injury,” said Mwanzo.

He added that the two were rushed to Nairobi West Hospital where they are currently admitted with Kiminda in serious condition and Sigolia in fair condition.

It is not known what led to the accident but a second lorry which was headed outbound from town also hit the barricade as police were attending to the first accident.

Following the incident, police were forced to remove the roadblock which has been blamed for causing agony to Nairobians heading home for the last three days.

Despite the complaints from citizens, police on Monday night increased the number of officers and introduced a water cannon to the barricade.

Monday’s incident came just a day after a senior police officer was seriously injured when a speeding motorcycle struck him at a roadblock in Pangani, Nairobi.

Pangani OCS Samir Yunus was manning the roadblock along Dr Griffin Road when he was hit and he sustained head injuries in the fall at around 8:30pm.

He was rushed to a nearby hospital where he was admitted with police saying the cyclist was later arrested and his motorcycle detained.

For the third day, some motorists were detained at various roadblocks for flouting Covid-19 curfew rules.

On Sunday night, police lit bonfires along Thika Road to keep officers and curfew breakers warm as they barricaded the road for a second night.

Officers lined up on Thika Road to enforce the curfew that starts at 8pm and ends at 4am, but the motorists were allowed to proceed with their trips after being held for more than an hour.

On Sunday, Nairobi regional commissioner James Kianda indicated that traffic management would be reviewed and enhanced to facilitate a smooth transition into curfew hours.

Nairobi is among the five counties which were put under lockdown on March 29 when President Uhuru Kenyatta ordered a cessation of movement into and out of the zone.

President Kenyatta declared Nairobi, Kiambu, Nakuru, Kajiado and Machakos counties as a Covid-19 disease-infected zone.

In a revised Gazette Noticed dated April 12, Interior CS Fred Matiang’i said the 8pm to 4am curfew in the zoned counties would be extended to May 29.

“This order shall apply during the hours of darkness between eight o’clock in the evening and four o’clock in the morning with effect from March 29, 2021 and shall remain in effect for a period of sixty days thereof,” he said.