A section of matatu owners in Eldoret town are up in arms over what they claim is brutality and extortion they are being subjected to by the County Enforcement officers.
The operators' officials drawn from 56 Matatu Saccos under the Uasin Gishu County Matatu Owners Association (MOA) now want immediate actions taken against the said officers.
Addressing the press in Eldoret town on Tuesday, the matatu owners further claimed the enforcement officers were profiling them based on their 2017 general elections political affiliations.
They asked Uasin Gishu governor Jackson Mandago to intervene and reign on some rogue county askari's.
"We're now being harassed and subjected to brutality because of our political affiliations in 2017 which is unacceptable," said MOA Uasin Gishu chairman Fred Wamu.
Wamu claimed the askaris who have been deployed to man various matatu stages in town were targeting for extortion and harassment matatu operators perceived to be from opposing political side during the 2017 election.
They demand bribes for as much as Sh26,000.
The operators threatened to paralyze business in Eldoret should their concerns fail to be addressed.
“We are appealing to the governor to move with speed and tame some rogue county askaris for harassing and extorting a huge sum of money from matatu operators on the flimsy ground due to their political affiliations in the last general election,” said Uasin Gishu MOA Secretary Sosten Ruto.
The officials later met with the governor’s security adviser Paul Ruto and presented him their petition against the frustrations which they want the county to address.
Ruto asked the matatu operators to continue with their daily operations assuring them that the county will look into their concerns and come up with a permanent solution to avoid bad blood between the matatu owners and the devolved unit askaris.
“We welcome the anti-corruption to come and investigate the enforcement officers promoting corruption as we do not condone such vice. Let me assure you that whoever will be found condoning graft in the matatu sector will face the full force of the law,” said Ruto.
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