Tension is still high in Siakago Market in Mbeere North in Embu county following the chaos that erupted between miraa traders and locals.
The locals are accusing miraa traders, who visit the area for business, of the increased cases of crime.
Since Friday, businesses have been paralyzed due to chaos that has seen several shops belonging to miraa traders set ablaze with property worth thousands reduced to ashes.
Also, several people have sustained injuries during the melee.
It took the intervention of the anti-riot police officers to quell the chaos when the locals went for the traders demanding they vacate the area.
Police had to lobby teargas canisters to disperse the unruly groups who had engaged in a fight.
The locals who spoke to the press alleged that the traders have been raiding their houses at night armed with pangas,and rungus to steal their property.
”We are living with a gang here in the name of miraa traders these people have turned on us and stealing from us and we shall not accept this we are tired,” one of the locals in Siakago town said.
They said that before the traders started operating in the market, they enjoyed maximum peace.
”How can six men live in one single room that they are not even paying for because the landlords here are also complaining? When they tell them to pay they refuse and threaten them,” the locals said.
Miraa farmers within the area are accusing miraa traders of reversing mobile money transactions once they sell the crop to them.
Embu county police commander who visited the area warned the two groups against turning on each other saying that the government won’t allow anyone to disrupt peace in the area.
Rukunga said that investigations have already been launched to ascertain the root cause of the chaos.
”We are doing investigations to get the facts of the matter,” he said.
Embu Governor Cecily Mbarire stated that an organized gang masquerading as miraa farmers has taken Siakago town as a hiding place to terrorise locals. The county head called on the police to flash them out.
The governor said there is a need to register all miraa traders coming into the area in order to ensure the non-traders are nabbed.
”It is disheartening to see our people being attacked by criminals who are hiding in miraa business, we need these people arrested immediately and prosecuted. They are even stealing bodabodas from our people and reversing money after any transaction for miraa they buy, we cannot work for people,” she said.
Mbarire also called for the transfer of police officers in Siakago police station saying they had failed to tame the criminals who are terrorizing locals.
