Tension was high on Lamu Island on Tuesday after youths clashed with police officers following the death of a suspected drug peddler who is the brother of the area chief.
The rioting youths, while armed with clubs and stones, barricaded the Lamu Old Town-King Fahd route, burning tyres to protest the killing of 42-year-old Miji Aboud alias Zambavu.
Aboud was found dead at Gadeni in Lamu Town shortly after he was arrested by a group of police officers who allegedly found him with heroin.
“He was arrested by our officers but swallowed the piece of evidence immediately after the arrest. Our officers tried to extract the exhibit and it is alleged that in the process, the deceased was strangled and pronounced dead on arrival at the King Fahd hospital,” said Amu Assistant County Commissioner Philip Oloo.
Following Aboud’s death, an angry mob invaded the King Fahd hospital where the body had been taken.
They pelted the hospital with stones, forcing doctors and nurses to flee to safety.
Patients at the hospital feared for their lives as the rowdy youths tried to force their way into the hospital.
Mr Oloo, however, said enough security officers had already been deployed to the hospital. He called for calm as investigations continue.
One police officer was critically injured after the mob pelted him with stones and descended on him with clubs before he was rescued by colleagues.
“There is no need for civilians to attack the police or cause unrest. I want to assure them that action will be taken and whoever will have been found to have committed any kind of atrocities that lead to the death of Mr Aboud, we shall investigate and bring them to book,” said Mr Oloo.
Langoni Assistant Chief Salim Aboud Mohamed, called for justice following the death of his brother.
“He died in the hands of the police as they had arrested him over drugs. I am aware that he had swallowed the drugs, only for the police to use excessive force by pushing their fingers into my brother’s throat to extract the drugs. In the process, they strangled my brother to death. That’s extra-judicial killing and we won’t accept it,” said Mr Mohamed.
