A woman was killed while 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, police said.
She was rushed to the Aga Khan Hospital, where she succumbed to her injuries, according to Dr. Patrick Eshiwani, the facility’s medical director.
Witnesses said 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.
It was then the woman who was on her way to work was hit. Two other men were also shot and wounded. They are admitted to a hospital in stable condition.
Jack Hussein, the chairman of Jua Kali, accused the police of using excessive force, stating that innocent civilians’ lives were at risk.
He said that the police officers should have summoned the Sacco the vehicle belonged to instead of risking the lives of innocent civilians.
Protests began around 11 am on May 9, as youths gathered at Central Police Station to demonstrate against the shooting.
Some of the demonstrators tried to set fire to a police vehicle, while others threw stones at the police station and destroyed windows.
Police officers used tear gas to disperse the angry protesters causing more chaos.
Calm returned in the afternoon after local leaders intervened.
County Police Commander Alphonse Kimathi said they have launched an investigation into the incident.
