There was drama at the Kisumu Central Police Station yesterday when a group of mourners stormed the station and protested the impounding of one of their vehicles and the arrest of its driver.
The angry mourners dumped the coffin carrying their deceased kin at the entrance of the station, demanding unconditional release of the driver and the vehicle.
Drama started when traffic police stationed at Otonglo market on the Kisumu-Busia road impounded the matatu that was ferrying mourners for having four excess passengers and a driver for lacking driving license.
Nyanza Regional traffic enforcement officer Andrew Naibei said occupants of the matatu which was headed into town did not say where they were going and was impounded as part of a crackdown on overloading.
The five were taken to Central Police Station where a second group followed minutes later with the coffin, demanding unconditional release of their relatives so that they could proceed to the funeral.
When their demands met resistance they dismounted the coffin from the second matatu and put it at the door of the station building, threatening to leave it there if the five were not let off.
Before the base commander, Jane Mbevi who executed the arrest called Mr Naibei to intervene as the protests degenerated into chaos, crowds of shocked onlookers flocked the police station to feast on the drama.
It turned out that only one of the five arrested people had not been released. The driver was released on cash bail, three other people released on free bond and a third one detained, according to Mr Naibei.
He said the five were let off with a warning so that the bereaved family could proceed to the funeral.
"When we arrested the five, they did not say they were part of a funeral procession. And we only released them out of compassion and respect for the dead," Mr Naibei said, "But they must appear in court on Monday. We cannot tolerate impunity on the roads anymore."
He said the recent spate of road carnage in the region with the latest killing eight at Seka in Homa Bay was enough reason for the measures thaey were tasking to curb further loss of lives.
"We cannot sit and watch as rules are flouted, so many people have perished on these roads and we will not tolerate impunity anymore."