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Officer found with refugees’ tents in his car

Details

Published on Wednesday, 02 April 2008 06:31

A provincial administrator Tuesday  escaped being lynched by irate displaced people in Nyamira district who claimed he had stolen tents donated to them by aid organisations.  Quick intervention by the police saved the official and a government vehicle from being torched by the refugees camping at Ekerenyo.

The administrator was held hostage for several hours before police from Nyamira rescued him from the mob that was baying for his blood. The displaced persons also claimed that he had taken food rations when they took him hostage.

They temporarily barricaded the main Kisii-Chemosit road and another road from the administrator’s  blocking his vehicle from leaving.

Another search

It took the intervention of Nyamira DC Ali Muktar to calm the situation at the camp. A search in the vehicle revealed several tents hidden amongst belongings of two nurses.

The vehicle was transporting the nurses to Rift Valley. But, the refugees and the DC wondered why it was being done during odd hours. Another search led by Nyamira deputy police chief Timothy Kivuva  in the administrator’s house did not  yield anything. The displaced people insisted that tents, nets and food rations were hidden in his house.

A government store at the camp was broken into allegedly by the administrator, an incident the DC described as illegal and a big mistake. However, the administrator explained that he broke the store to remove his iron sheets.

The DC ordered police to impound the vehicle, iron sheets and tents, as they launch investigations. The vehicle was driven to Nyamira police station. “I’m wondering how the items found their way into the vehicle because the nurses and the administrator are not custodians of Red Cross equipment. We want police to interview the nurses and Red Cross officials,” added the DC.