Protestors 'hijack' police vehicle in Oyugis

Maandamano Thursdays

A screen grab of a video shared online showing youth hanging on a police car in Oyugis town along Kisumu-Kisii road. The youth temporarily took control of the vehicle and had the driver, a police officer, take instructions from them.

Photo credit: Courtesy | @gabrieloguda/Twitter

There was drama in Oyugis town on Thursday when anti-government protesters took charge of a police vehicle and commandeered it for some time before they let it go.

The youth temporarily took control of the vehicle, hung on it as it was being driven along Kisumu-Kisii road, and had the driver, a police officer, take instructions from them.

In a video that has since been widely circulated on social media, netizens claimed the car, a Toyota Landcruiser pickup, was driven away by the civilians. One person even claimed police were looking for the vehicle after they lost it.

Rachuonyo South Sub-county Police Commander Lilies Wachira, however, sought to downplay the incident, only saying the vehicle was in their possession.

"It is parked at Oyugis Police Station as we speak. No one can take a police car away," she said on Thursday evening.

According to the police boss, the vehicle was from an accident scene and was heading back to the station.

As it was being driven along the road, the driver encountered a group of protesters who were marching along the road.

Ms Wachira said the group then jumped in the back of the car and later alighted after the car got to a junction connecting Oyugis town and Kendu Bay town.

In the video, a group of men, in their tens, can be seen hanging at the back of the car, with some hanging on the passenger door.

Some of the protestors were carrying twigs while some motorcycle riders who were 'escorting' the police vehicle were hooting.

Oyugis is among the towns in Homa Bay where anti-government protests were witnessed for the better part of Thursday.