Police got into running battles with sand traders who barricaded the busy Nairobi-Mombasa Highway at Mlolongo for close to five hours on Monday, due to service road blockage by Mlolongo Weighbridge police officers.
The traders, who included sand transportation track drivers, dealers and employed youth in the industry had blocked the road during the demonstrations, and flattened tires of several trucks packed in the town, paralyzing transport due to alleged extortion by the officers.
They accused the officers of being corrupt and imposing high charges on them, ranging from Sh200 to 600 per trip, when transporting sand from Machakos to Mlolongo, Nairobi and beyond.
Speaking to journalists at the scene during the protest, Brian Ngui, one of the drivers said the police had imposed the charges on them since July last year.
According to the operators, they opted for the demonstrations after the service roads (short cuts) they used to escape the weighbridge officers and avoid extortion were blocked.
They said complaints, which they had raised with several authorities in the region including leadership of the Machakos County Government bore no fruits.
It took the Athi River Police boss, Mutoro Kizito's efforts to call for enforcement of police officers from different departments such as administration, regular and General Service Unit (GSU) from different stations within the county to contain the situation and clear the road.
Mutoro condemned the demonstrations terming them illegal, arguing that police had not been informed by the rioters in advance on their intentions to demonstrate.
"These demonstrations were illegal since the rioters did not inform the police, who were caught unawares hence had to do everything possible to manage the situation," said Mutoro.
The police boss said no damages had been reported, they had contained the situation and were set to keep vigil day and night to ensure that operations were normalised.
Mavoko MP Patrick Makau, who spoke to the press on the scene condemned the incident but faulted the weighbridge officers for blocking the service roads.
"The weighbridge police officers should do their work by manning the highway instead of blocking service roads, they should quit if the bridge is not bringing them benefits," said Makau.