Residents of Muranga town engaged police in running battles over what they termed as harassment by the local law enforcers in the implementation of the 4 am to 10 pm curfew.
During the chaos witnessed in the evening of Thursday, September 30, residents blocked major roads to Muranga town by burning tyres in the road and pelting motorists with stones forcing them to use long alternative routes to access the town.
Witnesses say drama ensued after heavily armed police officers in five vehicles stormed a bar at around 7:15 pm and begun arresting revellers who later escaped from the police vehicle after angry rioters threw stones at them.
In response, the police officers shot in the air as the residents stood ground.
Police had to call for reinforcement to disperse the rioters whose disturbance had forced supermarket and businesses operators to shut shop in fear of pilfering.
Murang’a county response team joined police in quelling the riots in the streets and aided the officers in putting off the fires and clearing the roads for motorists.
In the commotion, rioters were heard chanting asking the government to revise the operating hours of bars and restaurants as they demanded an end to the curfew, complaining that police officers were taking advantage of the Covid-19 containment measures to harass them.
