Commuters in Kenya suffer amid threats

Minibus drivers in the eastern part of this capital city largely stayed off the roads Wednesday after a notorious criminal gang threatened to behead anyone driving or taking public transport.

Commuters were forced to walk for miles to work after the Mungiki gang’s warning.

Minibuses, known as matatus, are a key mode of transportation in this East African nation.

The gang is protesting the killings of its imprisoned leader’s wife and the acting leader’s brother last week.

The Matatu Owner Assn. appealed for police protection.

“We cannot let our drivers and conductors go to work without security,” chairman Simon Kimutai said. “We are restricting our business to areas that are safe and not venturing to other places where there is insecurity.”