Makueni county commissioner Mohammed Maalim has said the Monday's Emali demonstrations were planned.
Maalim condemned the protests stating that there are many legal ways the residents could have explored to express their grievances instead of barricading the busy Nairobi-Mombasa Road.
He said police had commenced investigations to find those who planned the demonstrations and bring him to book.
"We have information that the demonstrations were planned. We will find the masterminds behind it and prosecute them, that you can be sure of," Maalim said.
Maalim addressed the press in his office on Monday.
Irate residents blocked the highway at Emali in Makueni County decrying lack of water for almost a month.
They engaged the police in running battles for almost six hours.
Police were forced to use tear gas canisters to disperse the crowd which kept coming back.
They hurled stones at the police during the incident.
Officers from the General Service Unit were deployed to contain the situation that was getting out of hand.
The enraged residents chased away county minister for water who had gone to address them.
The residents blamed Notresh Water Company for the water problem being experienced in the area.
This comes just a week after workers from the same company held demonstrations complaining of delayed payments.
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