Chaos rocked Nakuru town on Thursday after anti-riot police officers confronted hawkers who had poured to the streets to celebrate a high a court directive stopping the county government not to carry out any more evictions.
Drama started at Nyayo gardens, approximately 500 metres from the Nakuru Law Courts where Nakuru Town East MP David Gikaria was about to address the eager hawkers.
More than 100 police officers descended on the crowd lobbing teargas canisters and shooting in the air sparking running battles.
Business people hurriedly closed their premises for fear of looting as everyone scampered for safety.
The MP was forced to take to his heels as his driver sought an escape route.
During the confrontation, the law maker’s had its rear window broken by a flying teargas can .
Addressing journalists soon after the incident, Gikaria accused the county government of using hired goons and suspected members of the outlaw Mungiki sect to harass hawkers.
“Right now am also fearing for my life and since Sunday night, I have not slept in my house because police and members of Mungiki sect want me dead,’’ claimed Gikaria.
He said that senior county government officials were also determined to eliminate him adding that he has recorded the matter with the police.
The MP asked the Interior Cabinet Secretary Joseph Nkaissery to intervene and stop ‘misuse’ of the police by Governor Mbugua’s administration.
He called on Governor Kinuthia Mbugua to find a more ‘gentle’ way of handling hawkers issues in town.
It took police more than half an hour to quell the chaos that spilled over to Kenyatta Avenue and Pandit Nehru road.