Three people were hacked to death at the weekend, sparking off demonstrations by matatu operators yesterday.
Two members of matatu (commuter vehicle) crew were killed on Sunday night by alleged Mungiki sect members. The touts fought off the raiders and killed one.
A bloody battle ensued when about 60 alleged Mungiki followers, armed with guns, bows, arrows, pangas and metal bars, raided the city's Dandora rubbish dump to flush out the touts. They commandeered four matatus to ferry them to the site.
Yesterday, the matatu men paralysed activities in the city centre as they drove in a convoy to Vigilance House, the police headquarters, to seek audience with Police Commissioner Philemon Abong'o.
Some were drunk, while others openly smoked bhang as they hang recklessly on the doors of the matatus.
About 150 Nissans and 70 mini-buses were withdrawn from the Dandora route before the angry drivers drove to Mr Abong'o's office. Hundreds of Dandora residents were stranded, while others walked for three kilometres to the Juja-Outer Ring roundabout.
They blocked Outer Ring and Thika roads as they drove to the city with their vehicles' headlights on and horns blaring.
Other motorists were forced off the road, while business on Tom Mboya street and Harambee Avenue was disrupted by the loud noise.
"We want to present a memorandum to Mr Abong'o. Gangsters are slaughtering our people like chickens and police are taking no action!" their leader, Mr Hostine Odhiambo, said.
Central divisional police boss Sammy Maritim, backed by a riot squad, blocked the protesters from storming Mr Abong'o's office.
Operations at police headquarters were disrupted by the blaring horns. Mr Maritim ordered the protesters to drive to the Kenyatta International Conference Centre.
When they obliged, Nairobi police chief Geoffrey Muathe instructed him on the walkie talkie not to hold dialogue with but arrest them.
Mr Maritim followed them to the KICC and ordered them to drive away.
Buru Buru divisional police chief Japhet Koome said his officers had arrested three suspects over the Sunday incident and seized blood-stained weapons.
"Bad blood between the two groups has been in existence for a long time. The attackers are normally very swift," he said.
On the Sunday incident, Mr Koome explained that the Mungiki men ambushed the touts and slashed one to death at the dumping site. As the raiders escaped, the touts cornered one and slashed him fatally on the head.
A tout, Mr John Muriithi, said: "It appears that these people have a licence to kill innocent Kenyans with impunity. The killers are known and their names have been presented to the police. Why have they not taken any action?."
A resident, Mr Peter Mutwiwa, said: "The officers operate a kangaroo court at the police post and those arrested pay Sh500 for their freedom."
The touts and Mungiki men have recently engaged in bloody street battles over the control of the route. Four touts and a Mungiki man were killed on July 23. Another tout was slashed to death last Thursday.