Armed prison warders block road

Armed Manyani prison warders block highway over killing of colleague

Updated Wednesday, July 24th 2013 at 12:55 GMT +3

By Renson Mnyamwezi

MOMBASA, KENYA: Prison warders at Manyani Maximum Prisons on Tuesday night blocked the Nairobi- Mombasa highway for several hours to protest the killing of their colleague who was run over by a lorry.

Transport was paralyzed after the over 400 angry warders barricaded the busy highway with rocks and logs for five hours before the officer-in charge Nicholas Maswai intervened.

The armed warders prevented vehicles from using the highway at Manyani trading centre, regarded as one of the major accident black spots in the country.

The trading centre is also one of the major resting points for long distance truck drivers in the country.

Mr Maswai said the 35-year-old prison officer was knocked down by a truck while crossing the highway at 9pm.

He said the incident brings to two the number ofprison warders killed by vehicles in the past two months.

 The prison boss at the same time said they had so far lost 12 officers in the past four years in the area as a result of accidents.

“The deceased was hit by a truck and the incident is the second one in the recent past,” said Maswai.

Warders interviewed said they were forced to block the highway to send a clear message to the government to immediately erect bumps to help minimize accidents in the area.

“We have complained several time to the government to erect the bumps but nothing has been done,” said one of the protesting prison warder.

Maswai said they had written to the Kenya National Highway Authority to have bumps erected at the trading centre.

We are still waiting for the response from the KNHA. If they fail to act, we will continue losing officers in road accidents,” noted the prison officer.

Taita acting OCPD Justina Nzivo confirmed the incident and said the warder was killed by hit and run vehicle.

The police officer said the body was later collected and taken to Voi district hospital mortuary.

Ms Nzivo condemned the prison waders for interfering with the traffic flow following the accident.

 “They attempted to block the highway and we told them not to take the law into their hands. They know the law,” said the police officer.