Soy MP Caleb Kositany. [Photo: Facebook/ Governor Mandago]
Soy Member of Parliament Caleb Kositany now says a last week's confrontation between hawkers and enforcement officers that has attracted criticisms was a security operation meant to flush out criminals in Eldoret town.
The MP, a close ally of governor Jackson Mandago, has asked the county government of Uasin Gishu to continue with the crackdown until Eldoret town is free from criminal elements.
Speaking in Eldoret town on Tuesday, the Jubilee MP defended the operation dismissing claims of excessive use by the police.
"You see at times when confrontations ensue there's very little the police can do and those people were armed and the only thing the enforcement officers had the rungus which they had to use," Kositany noted.
"Some hawkers who were working with the criminals tried to block the security officers and at the end, illicit alcohol and other illegal substances were nabbed and an indication that the operations were successful and should continue," he added.
The MP further asked traders to always cooperate with the police and county enforcement officers whenever there are an operation targeting individuals masquerading as hawkers."Traders are always allowed to do their businesses in town as long as it's legitimate," he added.