Nyamira county commissioner Mrs. Josephine Onwong’a has warned taxi and matatu drivers who have allegedly been repeatedly used by armed criminal gangs to transport them to their looting destinations.
Speaking at Guardian hotel on Monday where she met representatives from the transport sector, Onwong’a said that her office was keenly investigating incidents where certain taxi and matatu drivers were reportedly involved in trafficking criminal gangs at night to their destinations to loot.
She said that it was difficult for police officers to pursue the criminal gangs since they were swiftly driven away from the crime scene by taxi and matatu operators.
“I am saddened that some Taxi and Matatu drivers are being used in the new scheme of robbing from residents. The drivers know the targets and they swiftly drive the criminals away from the scene of the robbery. This habit is unacceptable and my office is investigating a number of incidents before we arraign those responsible in court,” she said.
Onwong’a said that those who were found culpable will be arraigned in court and their vehicles suspended from operating at any road within the county.
“My office will not hesitate to apprehend those who are found culpable and subsequently suspend the vehicle in question from operating within the county. We want our county to be safe and whoever threatens the safety of the public will be dealt with accordingly,” she added.
She urged members of the taxi and matatu associations from the area to work closely with authorities to end the series of insecurity incidents.