IG David Kimaiyo orders police to impound vehicles with tinted windows

By JOSEPHAT THIONGO and MAUREEN ABWAO

NAIROBI, KENYA: Police have been ordered to impound all public service vehicles with tinted windows.

Police boss David Kimaiyo said the removal of the tinted windows is part of war on terrorism in the country. There are few public service vehicles that have tinted windows.

“All public service vehicles with tinted windows be impounded with immediate effect,” said Kimaiyo in a statement read by his spokeswoman Ziporah Mboroki.

Mboroki told The Standard the order on tinted windows will affect only public service vehicles including taxis.

He also ordered thorough screening of luggage and passengers of public service vehicles and ordered operators to stop carrying extra passengers.

The police boss said the move had been necessitated by the recent spate of terror attacks and named the one on Thika Road in which three people were killed and more than 80 injured in twin explosions on two buses.

“I want to add that vehicle operators need to be cautious on the safety of their passengers to avoid death or injury while passengers are under their charge,” he said.

He said the recently launched Operation Usalama Watch has so far seen some 289 people deported while 158 are awaiting deportation.

He added some 2,303 people have been screened, 288 taken to court, 730 returned to designated refugee camps and 838 released.

The operation has been criticized as aimed at discriminating few people in the country. But Kimaiyo denied the claims.

“I want to say that we are increasingly seeing a trend where proponents of terror are now resorting to directing their negative energy at soft targets,” said Kimaiyo.

The police boss said so far 93 people have been confirmed dead out of illicit brew that is believed to have been laced with methanol while 182 of the 275 victims remain in hospitals. Police have taken to court 14 suspects who were linked to the brew in the past week alone.

Among those in custody were four people who were arrested in Tigioni area in Kiambu County after being found in possession of 483 drums of substance believed to be either ethanol or methanol that was meant for the preparation of illicit liquor.

The deaths were reported in six counties with the latest being in Nairobi’s Kabiria area.