A mob on Tuesday, July 8, torched
the Itibo Patrol Base in Bonyunyu, Nyamira County, in protest after a
19-year-old man was shot and seriously wounded during clashes with police.
Police said the station was first
looted and then set ablaze. Houses used by officers were also vandalised and
looted during the chaos.
Authorities confirmed that no
firearms were stolen and that all weapons in the station’s armoury remained
secure.
The violence began after a group of
students staged a protest outside the offices of the local Member of the County
Assembly for unspecified reasons.
Anti-riot police were deployed to
disperse the crowd, which had grown after locals joined in.
During the operation, police
reported that a man was shot in the stomach, prompting anger among residents.
A mob then marched to the police
base, overwhelmed the officers, and set the facility on fire.
Police residences were also targeted
and destroyed. Additional officers were deployed to the area to regain control
of the situation.
Sub-county police commander
Elizabeth Wakuloba later visited the scene and confirmed that investigations
had been launched.
The injured man was taken to a local
hospital and is reportedly in critical condition.
In a separate incident in Menyenya
village, also in Nyamira County, a man set two family houses on fire in what
police described as a bizarre occurrence.
Villagers apprehended the suspect
and handed him over to the police for questioning. The motive behind the act
remains unclear, and the investigation is ongoing.
Meanwhile, in Nairobi’s Savannah
area, a suspected robber was shot dead during a botched robbery on Sunday
night.
Police said the suspect and his accomplices
were in the process of attacking and robbing residents when an alarm was
raised.
A patrol team from Buruburu Police
Station responded and confronted the gang, fatally shooting one suspect. His
accomplices managed to escape.
The body was taken to the mortuary for a post-mortem as investigations continue.
