Road transport between Kajiado and Maili 46 towns is cut off following skirmishes between two groups fighting over sand mines around the Kenya Marble Quarries area.
The closure of the road on Wednesday happened after three days of clashes between two warring groups from Ildamat and Iloodokilani wards that have since left one person seriously wounded.
All the public service vehicles plying the Kajiado town/KMQ/Maili 46 road were warned by the two warring groups to keep off their cars from the road on Wednesday.
Police Commander
Kajiado Central Sub-County Police Commander, Daudi Lornyokwe confirmed there were skirmishes between two groups fighting over sand harvesting territories in KMQ, whose activities could have kept off PSVs on the road.
“What we have done as a government is to close all the sand mines in the area until the two groups come up with best practices of operation,” said Lornyokwe on the phone.
Lornyokwe said the area Deputy County Commissioner, Charles Wambugu stopped sand harvesting in the area on Monday after one man was injured following clashes that took place on Sunday night.
The police have since put a roadblock on the turnoff to KMQ along the Kajiado/Namanga Road in a bid to stop sand trucks plying the route for fear of attacks.
“On Monday, one sand truck was extensively damaged by members of the two groups fighting to take over the mines. However, we are not aware they have started blocking PSVs on the route,” said the police commander.
Business People
Jane Sawe, a trader in Maili 46 town, said on the telephone all the PSVs that ply the Kajiado town route never left the town after the owners were warned on Tuesday.
“We use the same vehicles to transport our shop wares from Kajiado town, and as it is the situation on the route is uncertain today,” said Sawe.
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Peter Malit, who also operates a retail shop, said he sent money for several bales of maize flour from Kajiado and he had been told there are no vehicles for Maili 46 town.
Skirmishes between the two warring groups erupted on Sunday after a group from Ildamat ward forced itself into a sand mining area without allegedly consulting the people of Iloodokilani, who are custodians.
After the incident, some Iloodokilani youth at KMQ mines took arms to protect their mines. On the other hand, youth from the Ildamat ward took over the road to the mines and blocked all the trucks headed there.
Currently, no harvesting activity is now going on there. No one from the two groups is making any money.
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