Kiambu, Kenya: Police in Kiambu County have reprimanded an assistant chief and a number of residents from Lari after they propagated rumors that a militia had been transported in the area on a terror mission, causing scare.
James Mugera, the County Police commander on Sunday in a press conference said there was no such incident, saying the residents and assistance chief who recorded statements with the police had spotted people who were returning from a Cord rally at Ntulele in Narok in tracks.
“The people mistaken to be terrorists were traveling in lorries and on reaching Ngubi Forest along the Mai Mahiu road, they were informed that there were police officers manning a road block ahead and since it is illegal, they alighted and walked to escape arrest,” Mr Mugera said.
Maize and curio hawkers along the area mistook the young men and informed their assistant chief who quickly passed the information to his seniors without confirming.
A contingent of police offices from Lari and Limuru were sent to check on the situation but after investigation, they found out it was a hoax but said the current political climate made the rumours appear true.
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The situation caused a serious scare in Lari and Limuru sub-counties which saw fame families flee their homes to seek refuge in schools and churches with fear of being attacked.
Mr Mugera said similar rumours were also initated in Gatundu during the weekend where residents were claiming that there were militia hiding in Gakoe Forest and were waiting to strike.
But Mugera said the residents were propagating the rumour with the motive of pushing police to investigate a Lial Omeara, an investor of German origin who had been crafting bamboo trees in the forest and recently begun a camping site 16 kilometres in the forest.
“We established that the residents are not happy with what this German is doing even though he is licensed. He had erected camping tents which are serving as a tourist-cum camping site and he has ten workers who stay there,” he said, adding the move was ment to have him sent away.
