A woman died and two others sustained serious injuries after being shot by a police officer chasing a matatu driver in Kisumu’s Jua Kali area.
The unidentified woman was the victim of a stray bullet that hit her on the head while she was riding a motorcycle near Aga Khan Primary School.
She was rushed to the Aga Khan Hospital, where she succumbed to her injuries, according to Dr Patrick Eshiwani, the facility’s medical director.
“The lady was brought in and when we examined her, we found that she had already succumbed to the gunshot wounds,” said Dr Eshiwani.
Trouble started when police officers chased a PSV vehicle and threw spikes at it when it reached the Jua Kali area, but the vehicle did not stop.
The driver got out and ran towards the Jua Kali mechanics section with the police in hot pursuit, but later got cold feet as a crowd started to form.
The other traders in the area then joined the fray, shouting at the officers, and as the resistance grew, one of the officers started shooting.
“During the scuffle, the woman, who was just a passenger on a motorbike, was shot and two people were injured on the leg and hand as the trigger-happy shot at people,” said Mr Jack Osen, chairman of the Jua Kali Artisans.
The two, Mr Kevin Ochieng Ouru and Mr James Omondi Were, are being treated at Kisumu County Referral Hospital.
“We are demanding justice for the three because the police cannot just shoot people at will,” said Mr Osen.
Angered by the turn of events, traders took to the streets to voice their displeasure.
The city of Kisumu came to a standstill for most of Tuesday morning as locals protested against the shooting and wounding of three people.
Shops in Jua kali are closed as angry demonstrators march towards Kisumu Central Police Station to protest the shooting.
Traffic was disrupted, with major roads around the Aga Khan, the main Kisumu bus park and the Jomo Kenyatta Highway rendered impassable for hours.
The protesters marched through Kisumu Boys Round About-Aga Khan way and then to Jomo Kenyatta High Way before storming Kisumu Central Police Station demanding answers.
They were dispersed by police after some of them started throwing stones and projectiles at officers.
Police fired tear gas canisters at them to disperse them from the station. Frightened traders and hoteliers in Kisumu closed their shops for fear of looting.
Kisumu County Commander Alphonse Kimanthi, who tried to address the jua kali mechanics, assured them that they would investigate the matter.
“We will carry out our investigations that led to this incident and take necessary action against those found culpable,” said Mr Kimanthi.
He later ordered the release of five matatus that had been impounded in the morning during a crackdown on vehicles flouting traffic rules.
