A lion believed to have wandered from Nairobi National Park on Tuesday night was shot and killed yesterday after it attacked a man on the Isinya-Kiserian road.
It was hit by nine bullets fired by Kenya Wildlife Service rangers.
There was no attempt to shoot the lion with tranquiliser darts.
It had been surrounded and guarded for six hours by local officials awaiting the KWS.
The lion became agitated, slipped through a security ring and lunged at a boda boda operator.
KWS officers said they had no option but to fire with live bullets.
The boda boda operator was taken to hospital with a shoulder injury.
The carcass was taken to the KWS headquarters.
The lion was first spotted at 6am.
Isinya deputy county commissioner David Kipkemei, who guarded the lion for close to six hours with regular and provincial administration officials, protested publicly when rangers killed it.
“We have been here all these hours protecting this lion. The rangers came with guns but we had suggested the lion should be sedated and taken back to Nairobi National Park.
They have now spoiled everything by killing the cat, this is wrong,” he said.
NO DIFFERENT FROM POACHERS
Jason Parantai, who called the Star at 6am saying the lion had been spotted and residents informed police officers, accused the officers of stressing the cat for a long time.
He said it should not have been killed.
“Had rangers come with the right equipment, this lion would not have died. They cannot keep a lion in the middle of people for such long hours without stressing it. We blame them for this heinous act,” Parantai said.
Oloosirkon-Sholinke MCA Daniel Kanchori blamed the KWS rangers,saying they are no different from poachers.