Transport Cabinet Secretary(CS) Kipchumba Murkomen has confirmed that the government is set to spend Kes 200 million to repair roads in Kisumu damaged during anti-government protests.
Speaking in Isiolo, the CS said that the Nairobi Expressway destroyed during the protests cost the government half a billion to repair.
“The roads burnt in Kisumu for the last two weeks during the protests we will need not less than Kes 200million for that small area in town to fill the potholes that have developed on the road due to tire burning,” he said.
“Expressway machines cost Sh500mn because they are expensive, not like the sufurias on protestors heads.”
Further, he said that the government supports Martin Gitau, the petitioner, brought the legal action in an effort to punish those accountable for the harm caused by the anti-government demonstrations.
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“Because am an interested party in that case, we will go there and support the taxpayers by ensuring the organizers are held accountable on whatever damage caused by the protesters especially on the public properties,” he added.
Martin Gitau claimed that if the protests weren't ended, they would certainly result in turmoil throughout the nation and deaths and property damage.
The petitioner explicitly requests orders to end the Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday demonstrations that the opposition leaders have scheduled in response to the rising cost of living.
Similar protests over the past two weeks have resulted in over 15 fatalities and over 300 injuries, some of which are serious.
“That contrary to the law, the Respondents continue to mastermind, orchestrate and sponsor a systemic campaign of violent protests, chaos, destruction and death of innocent citizens as well as security officers,” Gitau says in the petition.
On July 13, Murkomen said that during the anti-government demonstrations, vandals damaged the Nairobi Expressway to Kes 700 million, leaving three toll stations closed.