Police are having a hard time controlling motorbikes that are ferrying people across the roadblock mounted at Del Monte area near Blue Post Hotel in Thika. The clever bodaboda riders are using are using short cuts through the Del Monte farm and the nearby tropical estate to dodge the barrier. The barrier was mounted on Saturday as as part of the Covid-19 containment measures announced by President Uhuru Kenyatta on Friday last week.
A spot check by the media revealed that hundreds of boda boda riders were camping near Blue Post Hotel and were ferrying people moving towards Murang’a and other areas within the Mount Kenya region. They have also taken advantage of the situation to triple their charges. One is being forced to part with not less than sh 500 to be ferried across the barrier, a distance that cost sh 50 before the barrier was erected.
He however divulged that proper plans are being laid to close down the shortcuts being used by the riders adding that those flouting the rules will be rounded up and prosecuted accordingly. On Monday, the officers were forced to disperse matatus that were ferrying commuters from Del View stage using water canons. The matatus were waiting for passengers who were being ferried from the Kiambu side by motorbikes.
Residents who spoke to journalists said that even though the officers were strict on them, they allowed them to pass upon giving a valid reason. Muiruri Karanja, a Kagunduini resident in Kandara Murang’a county said that he had gone to the clinic in Thika town and was allowed to pass the barrier after producing his medical certificates. Lucy said that she was allowed to pass to go to her shamba. The barrier at Blue Post was erected to control movement in and about of Kiambu which was categorised as a disease infected zone alongside Nairobi, Kajiado, Nakuru and Machakos.