Video of Madogo Riots

Madogo Mobs Go Beserk,OCPD Killed

The plot is thickening fast as violence rocks Madogo following three days of protests by Matatu operators and their supporters.

According to Daily Nation, the OCPD has been killed, his guns stolen and vehicle set a blaze;

Tana North District OCPD Kuya Okitoi was on Tuesday morning attacked by matatu operators plying between Garissa and Madogo towns.
The OCPD, who is in a critical condition has been admitted at Garissa Provincial Hospital after sustaining serious injuries.
During the attack, the OCPD lost his AK-47 gun and a ceska pistol as the police Land Cruiser got burnt in the process.
Matatu operators on Monday disrupted transport in the region after a new sacco was created to oversee the operations of a route managed by Garissa - Madogo sacco.
In an effort to stop intimidation from Garissa - Madogo sacco, members of the new sacco gathered rowdy youths who disrupted operations in Garissa town for 12 hours.
Meanwhile, Garissa DC Samson Macharia Irungu has met with leaders from Madogo town directed them to search for the missing guns.
Passengers travelling from Garissa town were stranded 50 metres from Tana bridge while those travelling to Garissa, Wajir and Mandera were held up at Madogo Police Station for security reasons.
During the skirmishes, several commuter buses were damaged.
The official vehicle belonging to Garissa mayor, Ismail Mohamed Garat, had its windscreen damaged.
A contingent of the General Service Unit was dispatched to restore normal transport.
The area religious leaders have began a peace negotiation between with the matatu operators and residents who have been affected by the dispute.

Matatu Riots Close down Garissa-Nairobi Highway

Traffic on Northeastern's main highway and lifeline was ground to halt by a riot organized by a group of Madogo residents.

The Daily Nation reports:

Traffic on the busy Garissa – Nairobi highway remained disrupted for over seven hours on Monday as rowdy youth battled with matatu operators.The youth backed by a section of Garissa’s Madogo residents blocked the road following a protracted conflict between the two groups.
The rioters lit bonfire and used stones to block the section of the road between Garissa town and Madogo disrupting transport into and out of the town.
A land cruiser full of riot police officers from Garissa and Madogo police stations were thrice repulsed by the youth who pelted them with stones, forcing them to retreat.
Several police officers were injured in the skirmishes.
A contingent of Administration Police officers from Garissa were called in to reinforce their regular counterparts. The youths refused entry to any vehicle leaving and entering Garissa town including Buses.
 The otherwise peaceful demonstration that started on Sunday  turned ugly when Madogo OCS allegedly arrested Madogo Matatu Association Chairman Salim Ali Madei alongside 7 other youth.
Madei had earlier told the press that their Garissa counterparts attacked and injured several of their operators on Sunday completely denying them access to their designated Garissa town stage. In reprisal, the Madogo Matatu operators also barred the Garissa Sacco members from operating on the Madogo route. They also denied trucks from collecting sand at various locations in Madogo prompting Monday’s riots.
Madei also claimed that the Garissa Madogo Matatu Association they were initially affiliated to before they registered their own is not officially registered with the Registrar of Societies.
The Madogo Matatu operators who did not want to be mentioned accused the police of compliancy and siding with the Garissa team.

Where is the Outrage NEP?

What is wrong with us Somali Kenyans? We generally seem to get the point that we've been ill-treated by successive regimes. We understand that we deserve better than second class citizenship yet we still give the benefit of the doubt to those who don't deserve it. Its become part of our nature.

I continue to be amazed by the remarkable passivity of Nepians. We never give any credence or attention to the constitution and its liberal ideals.
Take the TJRC hearings that were taking place in Garissa. Given the grave nature of the crimes perpetrated on Garissians by the Moi and Kenyatta regimes, there were virtually no protests or public rallies held to denounce the perpetrators or to show solidarity with the victims.

I actually think a remarkable number of our people have become apathetic and don't think their actions will bear any consequences. Mosques have lost whatever powers they've had before and the local media thinks its sole purpose is to play cheap commercials with rhyming quasi-poetic lines.

Now food and fuel prices are pushing many poor families who don't have philanthropic relatives in Western Europe or North America over the edge. Inflation and costs associated with rising fuel prices have made it impossible for the average family to live a decent life. This  adds to the already devastating effects of the prolonged drought. A litre of diesel goes for as much as Kshs. 123 in parts of NEP.We are getting screwed again, except this time round, its costing lives.

But the main point is, where the fuck is the outrage? Why aren't people coming out of their houses to protest?
The truth is, no one cares about NEP because Nepians don't give a fuck about themselves. It may not be nice to say this but the truth is rarely nice. The reason why no one-including our very own representatives-is placating us is because we don't matter and we won't until we become actively engaged in all that directly affects our lives.

We Somali Kenyans are a homogeneous bunch but beyond that we have nothing else in common. we don't believe that we share a common destiny. We are fragmented and hostile toward each other. Unlike our culture which is strongly egalitarian, we cower before our own "leaders".

To you, the high school graduate, University Student, unemployed youth, I say wake up and educate others about what is ailing us. Its up to us, the younger generation, to educate our fathers, mothers, relatives and friends on our rights. Next time a police officer from Kirinyaga asks for your ID, tell him you were born in Garissa and that he is the foreigner in Garissa.

There shouldn't be a shortage of inspiration given all thats been happening in the Arab world since January.

Let me know what you think in the comments section or by e-mail, garissacity@yahoo.com

Graphic Video: Overloaded Pickup overturns somewhere in Kenya

A dangerously overloaded pickup truck overturns in one of Kenya's roads.The occupants of the pickup seem to be Muslim with some wearing Kanzus and chanting "La ilaha ila'Lah." We gather that Muslims were protesting even though their grievances are not yet known to this blog. There were a number of non-muslims who could be seen escaping from the vehicle as well.

The video recorder can be heard mouthing ethnic slurs, declaring that it seems "Just like Mogadishu."
Whatever the reasons were for this overload, they certainly turned out to be deadly for the occupants of the automobile and this is another stark reminder to all of us on the impotance of practicing safe driving.

A figure on casualties hasn't been available.

Double click to watch the video




Updated at 12.20pm