6 injured after speeding motorist hits police car at Thika road block

Two police officers were injured at the Thika Road curfew road block on Monday night and are currently being treated at Nairobi West Hospital.

Four civiians also sustained varied degrees of injuries and were rushed to the Kenyatta National Hospital for treatment.

According to a police report obtained by Citizen Digital, the two officers were part of a contingent of law enforcement officers deployed to enforce the daily curfew of 8 p.m. to 4 a.m.

According to police officer Maurine Jepkemboi Kutto, a speeding Mitsubishi FH lorry Reg. No. KCT 179T crashed into a police vehicle GKB 384T Isuzu Canter NPR that was static and parked on the side of the road.

At the time, the lorry had three occupants: the driver, Elias Mwaniki, and two other males only identified as Fancy and Martin.

According to the report, two police officers, Joseph Kiminda and Geoffrey Sigolia, were injured in the head, right hand, and left leg.

One of the officers, Joseph Kiminda, was taken to the hospital in critical condition, while his colleague is recovering.

The driver of the lorry that was transporting rice to Nairobi was placed under lawful custody on the same night after it was discovered that he was drunk.

He will be arraigned at the Makadara Law Courts on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, the National Police Service Commission chairman and team visited the two officers in hospital on Tuesday morning.

The Thika Road police barricade is one of several that have been erected across the county, ostensibly to enforce the daily curfew.

The latest comes amid reports that law enforcement officers were increasing vigilance in the diseased zone, particularly in Nairobi, where residents are accused of flouting Ministry of Health guidelines and routinely violating the curfew.

Thousands of motorists spent the better part of Saturday night stuck in traffic after encountering police roadblocks on several major highways.

The road blocks have been erected on several busy roads as follows: Thika Road at the Mountain Mall, Waiyaki Way, Kangundo Road at the Kayole Junction, the Eastern Bypass at Baraka/75, Mbagathi Way and Langata Road.

On Sunday, the situation remained unchanged, with police officers promising stricter implementation of the laws on Monday.

Kenyans were stuck in traffic starting at 2 p.m. on Monday, with motorists spending an average of 2 hours in traffic from Ruiru to the Thika police barrier.

The commute takes less than 15 minutes on a typical day.

Elsewhere, scores of city residents were marooned in town by the traffic snarl-ups and the rush-hour drama.

Photos showed hundreds of Kenyans lining up at the empty bus tops in a bid to beat the daily curfew.

Many people have chastised the authorities for enforcing the measure while lobbying to have it lifted.

President Uhuru Kenyatta revised the curfew in March to deal with a third Covid-19 wave.

He also ordered the closure of bars and schools, as well as movement restrictions in five counties, including Nairobi.