Business in Maralal town came to a standstill on Friday evening after residents staged protests over alleged police harassment and high handedness.
The rowdy youthful protesters engaged the police in running battles. They accused the law enforcers of turning enforcement of Covid-19 protocols into a cash cow.
The irate locals claimed that some officers were demanding between Sh500 to Sh5,000 from locals for not wearing face masks.
They claimed that many pastoralists have been detained in police cells where they were allegedly forced to pay hefty fines for not wearing face masks.
It all started at the Maralal roundabout where police confronted a man who was not wearing a face mask.
The residents claimed the police have been arresting and locking up people in cells only to be released after parting with money.
Another protestor Leleina Emanuel said police brutality during the coronavirus pandemic will taint the image of the police service.
Samburu Central Police Commander Alex Rotich accused locals of failing to comply with Covid-19 containment measures.
Mr Rotich vowed that no one would be spared and that police will continue to enforce Covid-19 containment measures as required by law.
“It is unacceptable to engage police in battles. We continue to enforce Covid-19 containment measures and no one will be spared if found flouting laid down guidelines,” he said.
There have been fears from health officials that police stations are hotspots for Covid-19 infections. Because prison protocols are stringent, many police stations are holding petty offenders, mainly those arrested for breaking Covid-19 protocols. BY DAILY NATION