The six were arrested on Saturday morning at 2am/XINHUA-File
NAIROBI, Kenya, Mar 26 – Police in Nairobi have arrested six main suspects linked with several attacks targeting Uber taxis, which include assaulting the drivers and burning their vehicles.
Nairobi Police Commander Japheth Koome said on Saturday the gang is believed to be behind a series of attacks targeting the taxis.
The six will be taken to court on Tuesday and charged with counts of attempted murder, arson and malicious damage of property, according to Koome.
“It is a notorious group but they are now in police custody,” he told Capital FM News.
The six were arrested on Saturday morning at 2am.
The police boss warned that they will not allow any breach of the law, “in the name of competition. We have enough police officers to deal with them.”
The most recent incident was on March 23 when an Uber taxi was burnt in Nairobi’s Riruta area, barely a month after another vehicle was set ablaze in Kilimani.
Police say the driver who escaped unhurt was lured by a man who posed as a customer before others joined in and attacked him.
He told police that he had picked up the man from Yaya Centre only to lure him to Riruta where he was attacked.
The incident follows a similar one that occurred on Muringa Road in Kilimani area last month where an Uber taxi driver was seriously wounded.
The taxi driver told police he was attacked by four men who blocked the road and forced him out of the vehicle before setting it alight.
The Interior Ministry is yet to decisively act a report prepared by a committee that was formed to recommend on the way forward following the feuds between the two rival taxi groups.
Wrangles have persisted despite the committee’s report with local taxi associations accusing Uber of attempting to monopolize ‘their’ industry.
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