One person was on Friday shot and killed by police officers as he and others staged a protest in Wajir over the killing of two suspected poachers.
The demonstrations erupted after Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) officers killed two men believed to be poachers on Wednesday evening.
The killings sparked angry protests from Wajir residents who thronged the streets, barricaded roads and lit bonfires to express their anger, police and witnesses said.
KWS officers said the suspects killed a giraffe and were transporting its meat for sale when a clash happened.
But the Wajir residents faulted the KWS officers for killing the two instead of arresting and prosecuting them.
Wajir Deputy Governor Ahmed Mohamed urged the police to exercise restraint when handling protesters.
“The security apparatus must change attitude. They should not respond to us with bullets every time when there is an issue,” said the DG.
The area leaders also condemned the killings and called for calm as investigations begin.
“Any life lost is one too many but continuing with the same will not bring a solution. We will work with security agencies to make sure that justice is served to families who lost their loved ones,” Wajir North MP Ibrahim Saney said.
The protests disrupted normal business operations in the area as police engaged the residents in running battles leaving dozens injured.
Two suspected poachers were Wednesday shot and killed and more than 70 kilos of giraffe meat was recovered from them in a shootout in Wajir County.
Kenya Wildlife Service rangers said they on May 3 received information some people were supplying suspected giraffe game meat at the Barwago location using a salon car.
Police said the rangers confronted the poachers at the Kalkacha sub-location prompting a shootout.
Two men believed to be poachers both aged 27 were fatally injured, while the third suspect who was armed with an AK47 rifle, managed to escape, police said.
Police who visited the scene said they recovered 10 spent cartridges of 5.56×45mm, two spent cartridges of 7.62×39mm, and giraffe meat of approximately 70 kilos packed in black polythene paper of approximately six kilograms each all placed in a big plastic basin.
The team also recovered three mobile phones and the vehicle the men were using.
The bodies were later released to the relatives for burial as they are from the same area in Wajir East.
Officials say they have intensified the war on poachers who are targeting wild animals in the area.
