Riots in Isiolo over killing

Street riots engulfed Isiolo Town on Thursday following the killing of a 33-year-old man by police officers on patrol.

The protesters engaged police in running battles for over four hours paralysing business and transport in and out of the town..

Smoke engulfed the town for the better part of the day with tyres and logs burning on the barricaded Isiolo-Moyale highway.

The road leading to the Isiolo district commissioner’s office was cut off until evening and motorists used other routes to access the town centre.

A motorbike rider was injured on the arm by a stray bullet when the rioters engaged the GSU officers at Isiolo main market. He was taken to Isiolo district hospital where he was treated and discharged.

An officer sustained head injuries when he was attacked with stones by angry residents at LMD village.

The villagers claimed he shot and killed the herder but the officer’s colleagues denied this saying he was not part of the team on foot patrol.

The herder, Mr Saney Mohamed Nunow, was allegedly shot and killed by a general service unit officer on patrol.

A witness Mr Hassan Abdi said Mr Nunow was driving his camel out of an enclosure when an officer fired at him at close range killing him on the spot.

“Where will we get protection if we are attacked by the security officers we expect to protect us and our livestock,” said Mr Abdi.

But a police constable, who declined to be named since he was not authorized to speak to press, told the Nation the man was killed during an exchange of fire. The patrol team ran into an ambush in a dry river bed near the LMD village where they were attacked by armed bandits, he said.

On Wednesday a raider was killed and two people sustained gunshot wounds when armed men invaded Buladaka near LMD village.

Upper eastern deputy PC Isaiah Nakoru warned that people should not take the law into their hands. “We should use diplomacy to resolve our issues,” he said.