Police gun down 9 people during protest
Several were reported to have fainted or run short of breath.
At least nine people were Wednesday killed in separate places during anti-government protests in the country.
Eight of the victims had gunshot wounds while one was hacked to death in Sondu at the border of Kisumu and Kericho counties, police said.
Police aware of the situation said they expect the toll to rise given at least 20 others were admitted to hospitals some with serious wounds.
Apart from Sondu, the other deaths were reported in Mlolongo, along Juja Road in Nairobi, Kitengela, and Emali.
Police shot and killed four people in Mlolongo area, two in Kitengela, one along Juja Road and one in Emali in Makueni County.
Properties were destroyed as some of the demonstrators turned violent in some areas in the protests that happened in almost 30 counties, police said.
Police say dozens of people were arrested in the drama and are being processed for possible prosecution.
Questions are being raised as to how police were overwhelmed especially on the Expressway in Nairobi amid claims the attackers on the property were facilitated.
The Expressway is manned by dozens of armed police officers all the time and it’s still a question of how goons were able to access and vandalise.
Responding teams which arrived almost two hours after property had been vandalised shot and killed four people as part of efforts to restore order.
Ten others were shot and wounded or hit by flying objects and are nursing wounds in various hospitals.
A vehicle was torched on the roadside at the scene.
In Kitengela, goons raided a government compound hosting the local police station and registrar of persons destroying identification cards and other materials.
Police responded and killed two of the suspects who were at the scene. Six other people were injured.
In Emali, police shot and killed one local in a confrontation that broke out during the anti-government protests.
The locals responded by torching a police car.
Along Juja Road, Nairobi, police said they shot and killed one person as they responded to a group that was attacking and robbing pedestrians.
Police claimed the deceased charged towards officers wanting to injure them prompting the officers to act swiftly fatally injuring one of them and that a Somali sword and a dagger were recovered.
Witnesses denied the claims saying police targeted the man in a crowd during a confrontation at the scene.
The protests paralysed operations in various parts of the country.
Police who were monitoring the situation from police headquarters in Nairobi said the protests happened in 30 counties.
In Kangemi, Nairobi, police lobbed teargas canisters that spilled into New Kihumbuini Primary School affecting dozens of pupils.
Several were reported to have fainted or run short of breath.
They were attended to for first aid before being rushed to hospital.
Parents and guardians rushed to the school to rescue their children.
Nairobi police boss Adamson Bungei termed the incident unfortunate.
A similar incident happened at a school in Nakuru, police said.
