Pupil shot as police battle mourners in Kakamega

A Class Eight pupil was shot and injured during a confrontation between mourners and anti-riot officers in Kakamega County on Thursday.

A group of youths engaged police officers in running battles and barricaded the busy Kakamega-Kisumu road at Ilesi market with stones for several hours, accusing the law enforcers of using excessive force.

The injured pupil was taken to the Kakamega County General and Referral Hospital for treatment and his condition was described as stable.

The medical superintendent Dr Victor Zimbulu said the bullet had grazed the boy’s lower back and he was out of danger.

“We have examined him and managed to stitch the wound and he is responding well to treatment,” said Dr Zimbulu.

Western region deputy police boss Leonard Omolo said the boy was shot as police battled the rioters stoning vehicles.

“The boy was not in uniform and he appears to have joined the rioters who were pelting vehicles with stones along the highway,” said Mr Omolo.

Villagers said the pupil was shot after police in riot gear attempted to stop the burial of a boda boda rider suspected to have been killed by his colleague after a fight last week.

Relatives of the rider were escorting the body to his rural home for burial when the commotion erupted.

But police officers at the scene said they had intelligence that the mourners were planning to storm the home of the assailant and set his houses and other property on fire before proceeding for the burial.

“All we were doing to escort the body of our colleague home for burial but police officers started shooting at mourners and beating them up,” said Mr Rogers Chepkosia.

He said the anti-riot police officers descended on mourners and beat them up as preparations were going on for the burial of the rider.