Residents of Tuala in Kajiado East are concerned over the continued vandalism of the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) in the area.
According to the residents, scrap metal business operators are destroying the railway and selling the material as scrap metal.
The area senior chief, Wilson Kaloi, revealed that scrap metal business has become a threat in the area, because scrap metal traders not only destroy the SGR but also destroy residents’ fences.
‘Since last week, reports of stolen fencing wires have been recorded, the latest case was the vandalism of SGR in Tuala. The robbers vandalised close to 200 metres of wire along the SGR, and the matter is under investigation,’ revealed Kaloi.
Kaloi further noted that the lifting of scrap metal businesses has increased metal theft.
‘When scrap metal business was banned, there were no metal theft cases. However, with the lift of the ban and the business running all over, metal theft cases have increased,” said Kaloi.
John Lawrence, a resident, said that the thieves target anything that is metallic, including metallic basins, sufurias, as long as they can sell it. He pleaded with the government to ban the business, as it was the only solution to the problem.
‘I reside next to the railway; it has been vandalised and its metals stolen. We have reported the cases to the police; some suspects have been arrested and others set free, but the only solution is for the business to be banned, if possible,’ said Lawrence.
Source: Kenya News Agency