There was a moment of panic after workers at the SGR construction site in Mai Mahiu were attacked by hundreds of youths asking for jobs in the area.
This came as more than 500 youths camped at the site offices in Mai Mahiu and Suswa for the second day running asking for job opportunities.
At one point, the group blocked the busy Mai Mahiu-Narok highway before riot police officers intervened.
In the latest incident, the angry youths carrying all manner of crude weapons and attacked the workers saying they were the reason for their unemployment in the area.
One of the youths Patrick Kamau said the Chinese contractor involved in the construction had decided to hire youths from other areas without considering them.
One of the youths joseph Kamau said all the workers who were working on the Nairobi-Mombasa SGR line had been brought to work for the second phase, a move he termed as wrong.
“We are perturbed by this latest move by the contractor because we agreed earlier on that youths from this area would be considered for employment once the works begin,” he said.
He said President Uhuru Kenyatta while commissioning the project called for inclusion of local youths adding that such has not happened.
