Residents Block Section of Thika Road at Witeithie in Protest Over Rising Kidnappings

Normal operations along the Thika Super Highway were disrupted on Wednesday, January 14 afternoon, after protests ensued in the Witeithie area in Kiambu County

The residents of the area blocked the super highway, protesting the accelerating rate of kidnappings that have been happening in the area.

According to the residents, a total of three children have allegedly been abducted in the area over the past month.

Recently, residents claimed that a grade 8 girl was allegedly abducted in the area on Tuesday, January 13, by unknown individuals in a black vehicle.

Photos and videos circulating online showed traffic at a standstill along the busy road, withresidents blocking it using stones and burning tires.

At the time of publication of this article, no law enforcement officer had been deployed to neutralise the situation.

Furthermore, security agencies, including the Directorate of Criminal Investigations, among others, have not issued any update or confirmation of kidnappings in the area.

The protests come a day after an accident occurred along the highways leading to a major traffic snarl-up on Monday, January 16.

Preliminary reports indicate the accident took place near the GSU Headquarters on the lower section near Alsops, and involved a lorry and a 14-seater PSV.

Motorists were forced to use alternative routes, including Kiambu Road, then connect through the Northern Bypass before rejoining Thika Road at Ruiru to avoid the congestion.

Photos and videos obtained by Kenyans.co.ke showed the lorry involved in the incident had toppled in the middle of the road, completely blocking traffic for motorists using the busy highway. The lorry appeared to be ferrying, among other items, jerrycans.

Motorists heading towards Kahawa West, Githurai 44 and 45, Kahawa Sukari, and Ruiru were the most affected by the incident.