Horticulture and dairy farmers in Lari constituency in Kiambu on Monday counted losses after the vehicles that collects their produces to the market were blocked from accessing the area.
The vehicles stoped working to participate in the matatu’s strike over the increase of fuel prices last week in the country.
“We are also using diesel, whose price has gone up too high. We want this issue to be addressed well. We opted to join matatu’s, just like how other fuel customers did” Kenneth Kamau said.
“We want President William Ruto to address this issue well so that the prices can be affordable” Kamau added.
The most affected were the horticulture farmers, since most of them resulted to going back home with their produces.
Vegetables in bags of kales and spinach which are also perishable, failed to be collected and the farmers were left going back with them to feed domestic animals.
George Kimani, a farmer from Uplands said he had harvested 3 bags of kales and he was forced to take the kales to his cows and sheep.
Kimani said no buyer can buy kales and spinach which are one day old.
“Our godowns buys kales and spinach which are harvested that very day. Those which can be bought later are carrots and cabbages” he said.
While Solomon Mwangi who buys and sells milk from farmers said several of milk vendors failed to collect milk from farmers since there roads had been blocked
Mwangi said he sells over 2,000 litres of milk at Kawangware, reveal he didn’t manage to access Lari to collect the produce.
“A lot of youths had blocked the Nairobi Nakuru highway especially at Gitaru, Zambezi, Acre five in Kikuyu constituency and at Rironi, Kamandura, Kwambira and Ngarariga in Limuru constituency” Mwangi said.
Even if police really tried hard at Lari to ensure movement was flowing along the highway, Mwangi said there was a fear of failing to deliver the milk to the customers, who some told us that they had not opened.
Other places in Lari where protests were witnessed was at Kamahindu, Kagwe and Soko Mjinga.
Police officers led by Lari OCS cross crossed the Nairobi Nakuru highway from Nyambari up to Soko Mjinga opening the roads where youths would block it with huge stones.
The youths at Nyambari would demand for some money from motorists to allow the pass. Some would give them between Sh 100 up to Sh 500.
However, in the afternoon, a huge rainfall dispersed youths who run away from the highway and failed to come back.
A politician Simon Peter Karanja blamed the protests to Ruto, saying that he would not have allowed the fuel increment, given the fact that the country’s economy was wanting.
“Everyone knows that as a country we are not doing so well economically. The president would not have allowed the fuel prices rise” Karanja said.
“The drivers of this economy are hungry and need to be supported by the government by lowering the taxes, just that” he added.
In Limuru town, youths lite bon fires using old tires and blocked the roads using huge stones
They also blocked few motorists and motorcyclists who tried to access petrol stations and even deflate their tires.
