Eldoret protests aftermath: Four dead, 25-year old fighting for his life
What you need to know:
- According to medics, a most of the dead succumbed to head and chest injuries.
Four bodies are lying at Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital (MTRH) in Eldoret following chaotic anti-Finance Bill protests in the town on Tuesday afternoon, while in Kitale, Trans Nzoia County, a 25-year-old protester is fighting for his life with a bullet lodged in his stomach.
The four are among the 61 victims who were taken to MTRH on Tuesday afternoon when protests that began peacefully in the morning turned chaotic, with police engaging the youthful protestors in running battles.
MTRH Chief Executive Officer Philip Kirwa told Nation that two of the four bodies were brought to the hospital by police.
One person died on arrival and the other succumbed to injuries while receiving medical attention at the facility’s Intensive Care Unit (ICU).
According to Dr Kirwa, a majority of victims succumbed to head and chest injuries.
“Up to now, we have received 61 cases of victims from Tuesday's protests,” said Dr Kirwa.
He said 16 of the victims who are receiving medical attention at the facility had head and chest injuries and fractured bones, but all were in stable condition.
“The 16 patients are undergoing various forms of surgery, mainly of fractures and stitching. The majority of the injuries we attended to were blunt injuries,” said the hospital CEO.
He was, however, reluctant to confirm whether some of the injuries resulted from gunshots, only noting that they were blunt trauma injuries whose causes cannot be established immediately.
